The Summoner's Companion
by bravelittletoreador
Summary: A humanstuck AU in which Tavros is a young magician struggling to fill the big shoes his father left behind. When he lucks into an apprenticeship with a powerful summoner, he thinks his dreams are about to come true, only to find things are far more complicated than he imagined. Desperate to prove himself, he summons and binds a powerful demon. A demon with bright blue eyes...
1. Chapter 1

Tavros crouched on the floor of the barn, scratching intricate symbols into the dirt with a bit of rusty metal. The air was still and thick with the heat of the summer day outside, full of the smell of warm hay and the horses that normally occupied the stalls. Light, golden and so bright it seemed solid, streamed in through the gaps in the wooden slats of the walls and roof like spears, the motes of dust floating in those beams the only movement besides the scrawny, dark haired six year old huddled over a painstakingly drawn circle. He whispered secret words as he worked, etching out the symbols of his true name, followed by the name of something else. Then he spat into the center and stepped back, shivering with excitement.

The simple scratches in the dirt began to glow, the same golden light as the sun, now shifting to a rosier hue as it grew, the light bubbling up from the earth like liquid. Rose gold honey spraying up into the air in a fountain. Tavros watched with glee as the light danced and splashed and finally resolved into a shape that was almost human"What are you doing?"

Tavros jumped at the unexpected voice, jumping up to try and hide the creature with his body as he turned towards the barn door, face red with guilty embarrassment.

His brother Rufioh was standing in the door, arms crossed over his broad chest, grinning because he knew he'd caught Tavros doing something he shouldn't be.

"Nothing!" Tavros lied, poorly, "Uh, just, chores?"

"Dad'll kill you if he finds out you're summoning things by yourself again." Rufioh warned Tavros, brushing past his little brother casually to look at the curious pink creature still struggling to hold its shape within Tavros's circle. He whistled, impressed, putting his hands on his hips. Rufioh was fifteen, just starting to fill out into the same muscular, top-heavy shape their father had, with wide shoulders and narrow hips leading into long, slim legs.

"You did pretty well, actually!" Rufioh said, ruffling Tavros's hair, "That's a good solid stage one apparition. It's even positively charged. Good job, kiddo!"

Tavros beamed, clearly delighted to have his brothers approval.

"It's so pretty," Tavros said, eager and excited now that he knew he wasn't in trouble, "I bet, it's real nice too! I wonder, if it talks?"

"Nah, stage ones aren't that smart," Rufioh said with a shrug, "They can't even hold their shape on the material plane. Can't grasp the concept. Look."

Rufioh reached out with his foot and, before Tavros could do more than gasp, scrubbed out part of the painstakingly crafted circle. This was the first thing that Tavros had ever been taught: Never break the circle. The circle didn't just contain the demon, it was all that bent it to your will. If you broke the circle without giving the demon clear orders, it could do whatever it wanted, including redecorating the room with your insides, which was what often happened.

But Rufioh just held Tavros back with one hand and told him to watch as the vaguely humanoid pink shape drifted out of the circle, struggling not to fall into an amorphous blob. It tripped and tumbled, growing new legs when a pair dissolved, right past the two boys to the first beam of sunlight from the roof. It turned what passed for its face up to the light as it reached it and then, all at once, burst into a cloud of a thousand pink butterflies. Tavros laughed with delight as the butterflies wheeled around the room in all directions, some fluttering out the barn door and off on the breeze, others just spinning around the roof. Tavros reached out to touch one and it popped like a soap bubble at the first graze of his finger, bringing another startled giggle from the boy.

"Don't tell dad I did that." Rufioh said with a laugh of his own, calmly swatting butterflies away from his hair, "He'd have a fit. But positively charged stage ones are harmless. They just want light."

Tavros watched the last of the butterflies escape or pop themselves on the barn rafters, smiling.

"Can we do it, again?" He asked brightly, and Rufioh snorted.

"Sure," Rufioh agreed, ambling over to a hay bale to sit down, "Just never do it without me, okay? It isn't safe for you to summon without me or dad around. If you messed up, that thing could have eaten you for breakfast."

Tavros chewed his lip, worried he was in trouble again by Rufioh's serious tone, but the other boy just patted the hay beside him, inviting Tavros to sit down. The hay was musty, sending up a cloud of dust that made Tavros sneeze as he plopped onto it.

"I just wanted, someone to play with," Tavros explained, rubbing his nose, "You and dad, are busy all the time."

"You can't play with demons, kiddo." Rufioh said, suddenly more serious, worried, "Don't even say things like that. Even the little ones can be dangerous if you don't know what you're doing. They're not your friends."

Tavros made a discontent noise as he was scolded, looking away.

"But, some of them, can talk," He tried to argue, expression plaintive, "If they can talk, then they're people, right? And if they're people, then, you can make friends with them."

Rufioh shook his head, concern growing.

"No! Absolutely not." He said firmly, "Demons aren't people. They aren't anything like people. And they don't make friends. All demons want is to destroy things and hurt people. Even those pretty butterflies from before."

"I thought you said, they just wanted light?" Tavros said, confused.

"Yeah, all light." Rufioh agreed, "Negatively charged, they'd take the skin off your bones in six seconds flat for the sake of just one candle. Summon enough of the positively charged ones, and they'll blot out the sun just to keep it to themselves. All demons are bad, some are just weaker than others."

Tavros looked away, disappointed and ashamed of his own naive hopes.

"Hey, kiddo, don't make that face," Rufioh said more gently, putting an arm around his brothers shoulders and giving him a little shake, "What do you need demon friends for anyway? You're gonna make a million human friends."

"The kids in the village, hate me though." Tavros said with an expression of depressed resignation.

Rufioh winced, then nodded and shrugged a little in reluctant acceptance.

"Okay, yeah, me too," He agreed, "But that's only because of Dad. Wants you get out of this town, make a name for yourself, you'll have more friends than you can handle!"

"Really?" Tavros asked, sounding hopeful but unconvinced.

"Absolutely!" Rufioh agreed, "You'll see. When I get out of here, I'm going to get a place in the city for us. I'll introduce you to everyone when you get there, and they'll all love you, I guarantee it."

"Dad says, you're not allowed to go." Tavros responded, frowning, "I heard you fighting about it, last night. He said you've got to, uh, keep up the fight, and carry on his name, and stuff."

Rufioh grimaced.

"Yeah, he says that kind of thing a lot..." The older boy grumbled, "He doesn't even get how much pressure that is. Some people just aren't made for fighting, you know? He'd never make you do that stuff, even he can tell you're- um."

He cut himself off, looking at Tavros guiltily. Tavros just looked back at him in blank confusion.

"Anyway," Rufioh hurried on, "I don't care what he says. I'm not interested in his dumb rebellion. Me and Damara and the rest are going to get out of here, just as soon as we can."

"Will you take me with you?" Tavros asked, hopeful, "I want to see the city too!"

Rufioh grinned and ruffled Tavros's mohawk again.

"Sure kiddo." He said, "When you're old enough, I'll show you the whole world..."

Only a year later, Rufioh stormed out during a fight with their father, and Tavros never saw him again.

* * *

Once upon a time, the Summoner had been a household name. General Nitram was the terror of the Empress's armies and all other nations quaked at the mention of his name. But he'd never been the most marketable of soldiers. Not like Admiral Dualscar, whose handsome face was spread across every propaganda poster the Empress's media bureau ever put out. Nitram, despite the incredible magical abilities that had raised him to the status of General even in the face of his low birth, had radical ideas that made every loyalist soldier that served him uneasy, and every imperialist superior he had want to kill him. He was openly socialist, vehemently against the aristocracy, and determined to change things from within. Then eventually his unpopular views had outstripped his usefulness and the Empress had tried to have him executed for sedition. In response, General Nitram had made his treason official. A huge number of the empress's army followed him into open rebellion, leaving the empire crippled and confused as he claimed territory after territory in the name of a free republic where all men were equal regardless of birth. More than once, the citizens of the areas he invaded welcomed him with cheers, turning on their highborn lords themselves. And General Nitram proudly revealed that he'd been holding back for years. The powers he unleashed against the empire were earth shaking, legendary. People still spoke in hushed whispers of his infamous summoning of the Archdemon Pyralspite, which he rode into battle against the Grand Holy Bastille, Fortress of the Faith, Supreme Pontiff Makara, leader of the Church of the State and of the Empress's holy warriors. It was that battle that earned Nitram the title of Summoner, as though no man before him had ever truly mastered the art, or ever would again. It was that title that was shouted from the roof tops as the rebellion grew, until it looked like it might consume not just the empire, but the world.

Unfortunately, Nitram underestimated the Empress, and forgot that she had long fought her wars in secret while he had only ever fought on the battlefield. The Empress got to Nitram's lover, a noblewoman who'd turned her back on her title to join the rebellion. How the Empress convinced the Marquis to turn on the Summoner, not even he ever knew. However it happened, she relinquished all Nitram's strategies, the locations of all his armies, the names of all his highest supporters, and then led him herself directly into an ambush. The Empress, in a single attack completely demolished the Rebel Army. The Summoner escaped, fled the country in shame and betrayal, but not before he'd killed the Marquis himself.

He went into exile on a tiny island, far from the Empress's influence. And rather than make him a martyr, the Empress granted him mercy, declaring him banished, and allowed him to rot there in infamy, knowing he would never be able to rouse another army again after such a defeat. And she'd been right.

The Summoner's fame won him nothing in the end but a modest farm on which to raise his two sons. Though there were still those that supported him, none dared show it publicly, and there were many more who despised him for creating a war that had dragged on so long and killed so many and resulted only in the aristocracy being more firmly embedded then before, and more motivated to keep the lowborn in their place. He rarely left the farm anymore. He'd clung to hopes of rekindling his rebellion with Rufioh, but with his eldest son's disappearance those hopes died, and whatever had been left of the Summoner that he hadn't lost in Marquis's betrayal died with it. Tavros watched his father grow older and sadder and retreat from the world. He began to spend more time that ever locked in his office. Tavros knew he was summoning something in there. 'Practicing' in his office had been a weekly ritual for as long as Tavros had been alive, probably longer. What he was summoning, Tavros couldn't imagine. But his weekly practices soon became twice weekly, then daily, and Tavros's curiosity got the better of him.

It was a chilly autumn afternoon. Tavros was eight, and missing his brother terribly. He'd been out all day, wandering in the woods near the farm, cataloguing the animals he saw. He had a sketchbook full of drawings, both of those mundane creatures and of the things he'd summoned. The drawings, and the lists of the animals he'd seen, were a regular part of the letters he wrote to Rufioh, all of which sat undelivered under a floorboard in his room, waiting for Rufioh to send him some sign of where he was. But it had begun to drizzle and Tavros, worried about his sketches, had hurried home before the rain started in earnest. He skulked towards his room, fretting over his drawings, when he passed his father's study and heard a voice.

"How many years," He heard his father saying, something playful and at the same time deeply sad in his voice, "How many decades, and you still won't give in?"

His father had left the study door unlocked and slightly open, perhaps assuming Tavros would be gone till sundown, as he often was. Tavros stepped a little closer, curious and wary.

"I am what I am, Nitram." Came a reply, in a voice Tavros did not recognize. It was deep and velvety as night and sent shivers down Tavros's spine, "You knew that before you learned my name. I can not change my nature."

"You can," Came his father's voice again, soft and pleading in a way Tavros had never heard his brash, loud, arrogant father speak, "I know you can. If nothing else, that I still believe in."

There was light dancing under the door and through the crack, blue and liquid and unearthly.

"You are a fool, Nitram," Said the stranger, but there was kindness in the words, "A fair and fulsome fool."

Tavros crept a little closer, heart racing as he began to suspect what was behind the door.

"Won't you say my name?" his father begged quietly, "At least once? Just once, call me by my name."

There was a long moment of silence, then a gentle murmur Tavros could not hear, followed by the kind of moan that made Tavros want to flee and hide until he was a few years older at least. Swallowing his fear, he peered through the crack of the door.

In the center of the room was a wide and complex summoning circle, glowing brightly with activity, frothing with blue light that splashed and ran like water. Tavros's father stood before it, his shirt loose and hanging from his arms, baring his muscular, scar covered back to the door. His father's hands were outstretched, reaching into the circle. The light pulled and stretched like a sheet around his arms as he wrapped them around the neck of the creature he had summoned. It was tall, taller than Tavros's father, and for the brief moment Tavros glimpsed it he perceived only that it was masculine, and that its skin was exactly the perfect blue black of the midnight sky in the space between the stars. And then all he saw were its eyes, huge and blue and all consuming. There was a shout, a sound of pain, smell of copper on the air, and then only darkness.

* * *

Tavros woke, groggy and confused but otherwise unharmed, on the couch in his father's office. The Summoner sat in high backed chair at his desk, turned to face Tavros on the couch, staring at a deep, still bleeding wound on his arm with an expression Tavros couldn't read. He'd half bandaged it, then stopped, and now he just stared at it, flexing his hand occasionally, as though he wanted it to keep hurting.

"I'm sorry-" Tavros started to say as he sat up, but the older man cut him off.

"It was my own fault," The Summoner said, voice distant and grim, "I should have locked the door."

Tavros wanted to disagree. He'd been taught never to interrupt a summoning since he was old enough to walk. He knew how dangerous breaking a magician's focus could be. Locked doors had nothing to do with it. But he said nothing, afraid of making the situation worse, afraid of the unfamiliar expression his father's face. For a long time, there was silence between them. Tavros felt an eerie, still fear growing in his chest. He knew he wasn't in danger, but somehow the certainty that he had done something terribly wrong crept on him and left him dreading the consequences and wishing he could hide.

"Dad?" he asked quietly, voice cracking with the stress, "Did I... what was that-"

"Nothing." The Summoner said sharply, interrupting again before the question was fully formed, "You saw nothing. And we're never going to talk about what happened here again. Understand?"

Tavros flinched, startled and worried. His father had never spoken to him that brusquely before. He saw the regret in the Summoner's eyes as soon as he realized what he'd done. The older man's tense posture softened at once, shaking off or at least burying whatever had troubled him.

"Hey, kid, don't look at me like that." he said, soft, playfulness tempered by regret, reaching out to muss Tavros's hair, "You look like a baby bird. I'm sorry I snapped. It's just... it's been rough, since your brother."

Tavros nodded, understanding, and pushed past the hand on his head to slide off the couch and into his father's arms instead, hugging the older man's middle tightly. The Summoner hesitated for a moment, then held him back, and Tavros heard a hitch in his voice when he spoke again.

"There, see?" The Summoner tried to sound cheerful, patting Tavros's back, "Everything's fine. Let me get this arm cleaned up and we'll have supper, okay?"

Tavros nodded again and, reluctantly, let go. He stepped away, shuffling awkwardly, and started to leave.

"Oh, and we need to talk about you summoning things in the barn again," the Summoner added as Tavros turned away, making the boy freeze, "What have I told you about summoning things on your own?"

Tavros looked back over his shoulder with a sheepish grin, ready for the worst, but the Summoner just smiled.

"You're too sloppy with putting away your materials," The Summoner scolded lightly, "But your sigils are very clean. It's good work."

Tavros blushed, pleased beyond words, and scuffed the floor with his shoe.

The Summoner chuckled and waved him out with his good arm

"Go on, we'll talk about it at dinner," He said, "I have a mess to clean up here first."

Tavros smiled gratefully and left the office, feeling better until he glanced back. As the office door was closing behind Tavros, the Summoner sank back into his chair, warm smile melting as he turned to stare at his wounded arm once again with that expression Tavros couldn't figure out.

Days passed, and on the surface things seemed better. The Summoner stopped locking himself in his office. He took a greater interest in Tavros's studies, helping him to work on his magic.

But Tavros could tell his father wasn't well. His attention wandered often, and Tavros would find him staring into space, expression far away and full of guilt. With every day that passed he moved slower, was more reluctant to leave the bed in the mornings, said little and ate less. He was sick, Tavros could see it. But he didn't know what to do to help.

A few days later, he went into town alone to get groceries. It was a chore he used to do with Rufioh, as their father had a hard time going into the town without getting into a fight. Sometimes, he'd do it on purpose if he was drunk enough.

Tavros missed having his brother with him, but he was old enough to do it alone, and his father needed him right now.

Luckily, most of the people in town who disliked Tavros's father, didn't hold what the Summoner had done against Tavros. Though they had been stiff with Rufioh, who everyone had expected to take up his father's mantle. Rufioh had been wiry and mischievous even at Tavros's age, always fighting the other village boys and getting into screaming matches with any adult who dared insult his father in front of him. Tavros had never been that type. He was built softer and rounder, and was more likely to cry than fight. He might have been a decent fighter if he tried. Once or twice the local boys had singled him out for a beating when Rufioh wasn't around to chase them off, and Tavros had proven he could take a hit and get right back up. He'd just never be the type to try and hit back. He'd just stand up, dust himself off, and wait for the next blow. It was a terrible trait for a revolutionary's son, but it did endear him to the local mothers.

His shopping trip was mostly uneventful till the end. He'd filled his pack at the market, even managed to charm a few prices down. But as he turned towards the road home he spotted a gaggle of older boys, loitering near the end of the market. One of them caught his eye and grinned nastily and Tavros realized with some dismay that they were waiting for him to leave the main street in order to jump him. He frowned and, hoping it was the right decision, ducked out of the market and down a side street. Maybe he could circle around them and get out without them seeing him.

He hurried down the narrow side street, taking a quick left turn when he heard boy's voices growing behind him. He could still lose them if he was quick, he thought, looking for another turn. But then he heard a triumphant shout behind him and realized it was too late to slip away. He broke into a run, sprinting down the cramped alley. He wasn't strong, but he was surprisingly quick as long as there wasn't anything to trip over. Maybe he could keep enough of a lead on them to get back to the main road!

Then the boy that had grinned at him suddenly stepped around the turn in front of him, having circled around while his mates closed in from behind. Tavros, too surprised to act on anything more than instinct, did not stop or miss a step. He lowered his head, squared his shoulders, and sped up instead, catching the lone boy in the gut with the full force of a panicking eight year old. They tumbled backwards together into a stack of crates, the older boy wheezing, the wind knocked out of him. Tavros, cushioned from the fall by his foe, scrambled back to his feet and kept running.

But the older boy wouldn't stay down for long, and his friends were still coming, and Tavros was all turned around now, not sure which way in the maze of side streets would lead him back to the main road. He had to think of something to do, fast.

He suddenly remembered, clinking in his pocket, the chalk he used to write his grocery list. He had enough distance he thought, heart racing faster at the thought. He had enough time to make a quick circle. He wouldn't call something dangerous, just something big. Big enough to scare them off, make them never come near him again. He could do it, he knew how. Swallowing hard, still running, he reached into the pocket of his coat, fingers closing around the warm and dusty chalk. He could do it.

And then a door opened just as he was about to pass it, making him stumble to a stop, crashing into the hip of the woman who was on her way out. She'd been about to dump out the washing water, but she dropped it as Tavros collided with her, spilling it over the cobble and her skirts. She started to glare down at Tavros, ready to give him a piece of her mind about running about so recklessly, until she saw the desperate, frightened look on his face, pleading for help, his hands clinging to her damp skirt. She looked back the way he'd come and heard the voices of the boys, angry and growing louder. Without a word, she snatched up her washing tub and ushered Tavros back inside, closing the door quickly behind them.

Tavros sank down beside the door, hugging his knees to his chest, and listened as the gang ran past, shouting angrily.

"The little brat couldn't have gone far!"

"It's your fault we lost him, falling over like that!"

"Is not! You should have run faster!"

Their voices faded as they ran on, and Tavros breathed a sigh of relief.

"You're the little Nitram boy, aren't you?" Asked the woman when things outside grew quiet, "Tavros?"

Tavros nodded quietly, embarrassed and suddenly worried she might be one of those who disliked his father. She was a tall woman, rangy and strong despite her age, with olive eyes and long, shaggy brown hair she had tied up the way all the village married women did, though there was no ring on her finger. It hung from a string around her neck instead, in the way of widows. The house smelled like cats, and her fingers were stained with ink.

"You have to stop getting into such trouble," The woman said, not unkindly, helping him up, "I saw those boys chase you off the road last week too. What would you father say?"

"He'd, tell me to fight them," Tavros answered with bitter certainty, "But, I'm not very good at that."

The woman nodded, not surprised. She looked at Tavros for a moment, her expression calculating.

"You know, I was there during your father's rebellion." She said.

Tavros didn't answer, giving her a wary look, afraid he was about to have to run again. But the woman just smiled and turned away, rifling through some papers on a nearby table.

"He even asked me to join him, once." She said, "I had... experience in rebellions. But we never agreed on ideology. But I kept an eye on him, even if I wouldn't fight with him. Close enough of an eye that I had to come here when he failed or risk being taken for a supporter and shot in the street like the rest."

Tavros listened, confused and slightly worried, hand on the door.

"You need to get out of here." She said finally, pulling a flyer from the pile of papers, "Away from your father. He's a good man, but he can't put down his anger. He'll keep carrying it forever, and he'll make you carry it to, if he can. Here."

She handed him the flyer, and Tavros took it, frowning curiously.

"Apprentices wanted," He read, mumbling, "To join Admiral Dualscar in the capitol, for training in the arts of... summoning, and high magic? Only the talented, need apply..."

"If you have even a drop of your father's talent, you qualify." The woman said, "Your father's still respected for his skill in the capitol, whatever his political leanings. They won't pass up the chance to train his son, trust me."

"I, but why," Tavros stammered, stutter getting worse in his confusion, "I'm not ever, going to join the imperial army, or be a real summoner. What's, the point?"

The woman took the flyer, rolled it up, and bopped him on the head with it.

"The point is not wasting your talents!" She said sharply, "The point is doing something with your life! Do you intend to molder on that farm with your father the rest of your days? Ridiculous!"

Tavros ducked a second blow from the rolled up flyer and she pushed it back into his hands.

"Talk to your father." She said, "He knows, deep down, he knows what he's doing to you, and that you deserve better. You'll see. Now come on, you can leave through the garden. Cut through the neighbor's plot and you'll be on the edge of town in no time."

Tavros took the flyer, folding it up carefully and putting it away in his pocket. The woman opened the side door into the garden and Tavros, pausing to check that his groceries were still in one piece, stepped past her into the sun.

"Promise me you'll ask him," She said, putting a hand on his shoulder, "Promise?"

Tavros paused, looking up at her sad, weathered face, and after a moment nodded.

"I, promise," He said haltingly, "I'll ask."

"Good." She said warmly, passing him an oatmeal cookie wrapped in a handkerchief, "Have a cookie for the road. And tell you father Meulin said hello."

He waved as he left, and climbed through the neighbor's gardens to the edge of town, where he found the main road again. It was a longer walk than usual, but the cookie was delicious, and he had dreams of an apprenticeship in the capitol to keep him company...

* * *

Tavros let several days pass before he found the courage to ask the Summoner about the flyer. His father was still deep in the mire he'd been in since Tavros had interrupted his summoning and Tavros was afraid to make it worse. Equally, he was afraid the older man would say no. The more he thought about it, about being a real, proper summoner, the more excited he became. He still didn't think he wanted to join the imperial army, but to go to the capitol and be really trained with others who loved summoning as much as he did, that would be spectacular. To see the great magical library at the heart of the city and add his name to the book of summoners, right beneath his father's... He lay up at night, staring at the ceiling and dreaming about the things he might see and learn. And about the other students, kids his own age who might finally be his friends. It was a heady daydream, and the more dear it grew to him, the more terrible the thought of his father saying no became. For a long while, he couldn't decide which was worse: never asking and possibly missing his chance, or daring to ask and being refused. It was Meulin's words that eventually made him settle on the former. His father, as much as Tavros loved him, would never have a greater ambition for any of his sons than to take up the mantle of his rebellion. And he barely even had that ambition for Tavros. Tavros realized, with grim certainty, that if his father said no, he would have to follow his brother in running away. Like many children his age, he looked at the idea of running away with fearful excitement. It would be hard and frightening of course, which was why he'd never done it. But it was also bound to be an exciting adventure. He'd find his brother on the road, and they'd go to the capitol and become summoners together. It was such an exciting dream that he nearly decided not to ask at all, to bank on the refusal and just flee now. But some part of him, which was older than the rest and a little more practical, reminded him of the dangers of the road, of hunger and robbers and cold, and convinced him that he should at least give his father a chance.

The Summoner was in his study when Tavros went to him. The door was open wide, but Tavros still felt as though he were trespassing, and he hesitated at the threshold, looking in. His father sat in his high backed chair, staring down at the circle painted on the wooden boards of the study floor. Strictly speaking, it was bad practice to put a permanent circle on a wooden floor, as the warping of the boards during hot or wet weather could alter sigels and even break the circle itself. But this had never seemed to worry the Summoner. At least not until now. There was a bucket of cleaning solution and a brush beside his chair, currently untouched. He'd been talking the last several days of removing the old circle, putting in a new one somewhere safer. The basement perhaps, on the stone floor where it was less likely to warp. Tavros had encouraged the project, because it had seemed to bring some energy back to the man. But now he simply sat, staring at the circle, work not even begun, and the expression on his face was so torn and twisted that it made Tavros want to cry just glimpsing it.

"Sir?" he said quietly, and the Summoner jumped, quickly disciplining his face into a smile that hid absolutely nothing.

"Yeah, kiddo?" He asked turning that smile on Tavros, "I was just about to get started here. What can I do for you?"

Tavros was holding the flyer, and he turned it in his hands as he fumbled with his words.

"Um, well," He mumbled, "You see I was, I was in town, the other day and, and this woman, uh, this woman was talking to me, and she thought, I mean, I thought, that is, this is something I would really like, something I need to, to, to-"

He stopped, hung on the word and scrunched his face up in agitation. He took a deep breath and gave up on finding the right words, simply handing his father the flyer.

The Summoner accepted it, curious, and scanned over it. Tavros saw his lip curl as he reached the mention of Dualscar's name.

"What is that old barnacle doing pretending to teach summoning?" he muttered, "The man could lead a fleet, sure, but he was far better at putting summons down than raising them himself. He could barely summon a stage three on his own. Mind you I once saw him harpoon a stage eight over the capitol harbor all on his own. Asshole dropped it on the dockside houses rather than risk crushing a single of his precious ships."

Tavros waited patiently as his father griped about the other man. Dualscar, handsome and talented (if not very charismatic in person, at least according to the Summoner) had been the Imperial Armada's golden boy both before and during the Summoner's rebellion. They'd gone up against each other more than once. There was a great deal of personal dislike between them. Given the chance, Dualscar would likely have been delighted to publicly gut the Summoner and bask in the praise of finally slaying the disgraced leader of the old rebellion. But there was grudging respect there as well that came from one soldier recognizing the skill of another.

After a moment of reminiscing about old rivalries, it finally occurred to the Summoner why Tavros had handed him the flyer in the first place. He stopped, staring at his son in surprise.

"You... want to apprentice yourself to Dualscar?" The man asked, and when Tavros nodded timidly, the Summoner seemed to light up with righteous fury, "Like hell! Like hell I'm going to let that fish breath teach MY son-"

He cut himself off suddenly, seeing the crushed look on Tavros's face. There was a moment of silence between them as Tavros felt his dreams crumbling. He'd never be brave enough to actually run away, that had just been a pipe dream. He'd be here forever, alone, and the best summoning he'd ever do would be nothing above a stage four, in haphazard circles scrawled in the dirt floor of the barn...

"You really want this?" the Summoner asked quietly, and Tavros nodded, earnest and expecting the worst.

"More, than anything," He answered haltingly.

His father looked away, looked down at the circle on the floor, and Tavros saw something guilty and shameful slip across his brown, well aged face.

"I suppose I've been doing you a disservice, keeping you here," The Summoner said, "I never was the best teacher. And I certainly don't have their books and resources..."

He glanced back at Tavros, seeming to be searching for some approval, some sign that he was doing the right thing.

"...I'll send some letters." He said at last, "I can't make any promises you'll be accepted. But I'll try."

Tavros had thrown himself at his father before he'd even finished speaking, hugging him so tightly the last words came out half choked by Tavros's ecstatic grip.

"I'll be a summoner, just like you," Tavros said, dizzy with happiness, "I'll make you, so proud."

The Summoner was staring over Tavros's shoulder at the circle on the floor as he patted his son's head, and his eyes were full of shame and secret hope.

"You already do, kiddo. You always did."

* * *

The Summoner had to pull every string and call in every favor he had for Tavros to even be considered. In spite of everything, the Nitram's were still lowborn, and no noble would take an apprentice without a title. But the Summoner's name still carried some weight amongst the capitol's magical aristocracy, where he was remembered more for his summoning skill than for his unfortunate political leanings. Word of the Summoner's son created a buzz of excitement for the possibility that Tavros might have his father's talent. That Dualscar might train the child of the Summoner himself sent a flurry through the gossip circles of the capitol. And Dualscar, being above all a vain socialite, found himself in a corner. Give Tavros a chance, or disappoint his peers and face the humiliation at every garden party and ball this season.

He'd arrived one chilly May morning before the fog had even lifted, sweeping onto the farm in a heavy, ornate carriage that was bound to sink intractably deep in the wet muddy roads of the small island town. He climbed out, wreathed in a massive cloak dyed rich, royal violet, which broadened his already impressive stature into something solid and towering and ominous.

Tavros, who'd only woken up ten minutes before when his father had spotted the carriage coming, and rushed to wash and dress himself faster than he ever had before, stood beside his father in the wet grass before their house, trembling at the sight of the admiral.

The Summoner nodded respectfully at his rival as the other man approached, and Dualscar nodded stiffly back.

"Summoner," He said in a thick lyrical accent that was half capitol affectation, half sailor's motley growl, "Good to see you've finally accepted your place in your old age. You were always better suited to farming than soldiering."

"Admiral." the Summoner replied, polite smile developing a few too many teeth to be polite any longer, "Good to see you as well. Speaking of old age, I see you still haven't learned to dress for yours. Is that a lace cravat I see? Don't you think you're just a few decades beyond that?"

Judging by the flush on the admiral's cheeks and the way his hand twitched, fighting the urge to jump to the admittedly somewhat dandyish cravat, the Summoner had hit the other man's weak point dead on.

"Cut the banter." Dualscar said sharply, "I came to see the boy's skills, not twitter like bitter housewives."

Tavros took note of the fact that the admiral was the type to take his ball and go home if he thought he was losing. But the Summoner just gave a sarcastic, sweeping bow as he gestured towards the barn as though it were a grand ballroom. Tavros saw Dualscar scowl at the dusty, aging structure and twitch at his cloak as though he were mourning its soon to be ruined hem already.

In the barn, Tavros got to work at once, busily scratching his circle into the dirt.

"Is this really the best you have for a summoning area?" Dualscar asked disdainfully, "I can hardly believe the boy knows anything, studying in such crude facilities."

"Well, we can't all have marble halls, can we?" The Summoner replied, watching his son with a light smile, "Or no, we could have. But your lot put a stop to all that, remember?"

He grinned a sharklike grin at Dualscar, who sneered back until the Summoner broke eye contact to watch Tavros again.

"Don't you fret your pretty little lace underthings about it," Summoner continued, "The boy is more than capable. And in the field he'll have his structures up and three summonings started while your pampered capitol magicians are still looking for a flat surface."

"We'll see." Dualscar replied, unconvinced.

Tavros wasn't listening to their conversation, hard at work on his circle. He'd been planning what to do today for a long time, trying to decide what the perfect summon would be. What he'd finally landed on wasn't anything from a book. He'd had to improvise much of the constraints and bindings himself to get the effect he wanted. As he scrawled their strange sigils he saw Dualscar frowning and his father raising an eyebrow, intrigued.

The circle was quite large, which was why they were doing it in the barn rather than the study or the basement. It was more than twelve feet across, the edges thickly inscribed with dense and specific rites and rules in the slanting esoteric letters of the arcane language. As Tavros worked he muttered under his breath, lighting each rune briefly with a glitter of honey colored power, solidifying it, building up the invisible magical structure that would be the summon's cage. Each rune was both a bar of that cage and an undeniable order to the occupant, and if any one fell it would mean the end Tavros, at the very least.

Such a large circle would normally require blood to activate, but as Tavros finished inscribing and stood back, he didn't reach for a knife. Instead he began to chant, slow and rhythmic and precise, almost singing. These rituals were the only time Tavros's stutter never seemed to bother him. Words that usually stopped him cold glided easily as silk on water when carried by the musical current of a spell. Maybe it was the confidence doing magic seemed to fill him with, or just that he'd practiced the words ahead of time. He'd expected it to be more difficult with Dualscar watching, but somehow the fear never came, or never grew beyond an excited kind of nausea at the pit of his stomach. He was more elated than scared, eager to show off the spell he'd spent so long on. And as the spell began to come together a kind of serenity came over him, and he remembered working out here with his brother, summoning things they knew they shouldn't. And he remembered the day of the butterflies and smiled.

The outer ring of the circle began to glow, bubbling with bronze colored light. The sigils began to move, sliding around the outside of the circle, turning faster and faster as though they intended to take off. Tavros watched carefully, still chanting, urging the magic on, building it higher. Then, with a great heave, he spat heavily into the center of the circle.

The light erupted, dazzling all three in the barn for a moment as it flared, shimmering brown honey gold light fountaining towards the roof as something spiraled up from the center of the circle where Tavros's saliva had landed. It swirled up, tiny at first, a white dust devil no larger than a thumb, which grew with every passing second, curving and stretching and warping as the requirements of Tavros's cage forced it to take the shape he wanted, long and sinuous and angular. It was singing out as it grew, a high musical cry like that of a wild horse, piercing and lonely as the shape built ever higher under Tavros's carefully sculpting hands. Dualscar took a step backwards, worried, as it grew tall enough to threaten the ceiling of the barn, but Tavros never flinched, hands moving like the conductor of an orchestra as he sang his spell in harmony with the creature's cry.

As it reached the peak of its height, Tavros suddenly pulled away from the spell to turn and grab a rope hanging from the ceiling nearby. As he dragged it down, the barn's skylight suddenly fell open, flooding the room with dusty golden light. As soon as it hit the creature in the circle, it suddenly unfolded and the shape Tavros had been forcing it into became clear. It opened wide, bat like wings that filled the barn from end to end, craned back a long, serpentine neck and turned it's jagged, elegant reptile head to the sky, blinking into the light with terrible scarlet eyes. It was Pyralspite, or a facsimile of him anyway. Summoning an imitation of his father's most famous demon, the one he'd flown over the empress's palace itself, was risky he knew. But the look on the two men's faces, the Summoner's delighted and awed and full of pride, the Admiral's shocked and frightened, was worth it. And then Tavros, gleeful, ignored the simultaneous terrified shouts of both his father and Dualscar, and scrubbed out the edge of the circle with his foot in a single triumphant swipe, cutting off the magical energy feeding his creation.

The dragon opened its mouth in a final shrill cry, then shattered into a vast cloud of white butterflies, which filled the barn like a snow storm and lifted Tavros, laughing, into the air. In the final moments of the spell, their joined mass behind him looked exactly like vast, radiant wings, carrying him into the light.

And then a moment later he'd been left on the ground as the butterflies either popped in a glitter of light at the touch of any solid thing, or else flew away through the skylight, yearning ever towards the sun. Tavros, sitting on the ground, breathing heavily, was shaking with elation at the success. He looked over at his audience, and found they'd both toppled over into the dirt in shock. Dualscar was pale as a ghost, with the unmistakable expression of a man who'd just seen his life flash before his eyes. Summoner was wide eyed and slack jawed and the unexpected joy in his eyes mirrored Tavros's perfectly. The older Nitram scrambled to his feet with a whoop of exultant delight and scooped Tavros up into a hug, swinging him around as they both laughed like madmen. Dualscar continued to stare at them as though that was exactly what they were.

"How- why in- how did-" Dualscar babbled, stumbling gracelessly to his own feet, "That was-"

"It was amazing is what it was!" Summoner crowed, lifting Tavros in the air, "Did you see the wingspan on that thing? And the way he flew at the end, gods above!"

"That was-" Dualscar tried to say again, only to be cut off by the Summoner.

"That was incredible! Better than anything I could do at your age!" The Summoner gushed, "All this time I thought Rufioh was- well, I was wrong, anyway! How did you hide that kind of skill from me, kiddo? And letting it go at the end, that was-"

"THAT WAS THE MOST IRRESPONSIBLE, DANGEROUS, UNDISCIPLINED HEDGE WITCHERY I'VE EVER SEEN!" Dualscar snarled, finding his words at last, "How dare you endanger me that way! And you! Encouraging your own son to break his summoning circles! I knew you were a fool Summoner but I never took you for suicidal!"

Tavros had stopped laughing by now, and simply clung to his now similarly grim faced father, joy replaced with worry and guilt. Dualscar, cloak rumpled and dusty, carefully coiffed graying hair mussed by the cloud of butterflies, should have looked ridiculous. And yet the disturbance of his obviously carefully maintained appearance only seemed to make him more terrifying as he steamed with rage.

"Power you might have!" The Admiral continued, pointing threateningly at Tavros, "But coupled with reckless stupidity power will bring you nothing but an early grave!"

"Hey!" The Summoner snapped, stepping between them with a snarl, "That's enough! Nothing got hurt except your gaudy ass cloak. Tavros knew what he was doing. He just happened to know something neither of us did. And it was the most damn impressive thing I've seen since before the war. If you don't want him that's your own loss."

He turned to Tavros with a grin, clasping him by both shoulders. The clouds that had been across his eyes for so long seemed to have vanished entirely, and that alone was enough to make Tavros's heart soar with joy.

"Hey, forget this crusty barnacle," Summoner said, "Forget the apprenticeship. Stay here with me. I was squandering your talents before, letting your training slip. But if you can do something like that, the rebellion might still-"

"Wait just a minute!" Dualscar interjected, abrasive with offense, "Is your blatant treachery all you think of? I never said I wouldn't take the boy!"

He huffed imperiously as Tavros's eyes lit up with renewed hope.

"He'll just need some more adequate safety training is all." The Admiral finished, straightening his cloak and smoothing back his hair, "A proper grounding in the basics and essentials is clearly necessary. That circle was far more complex than it needed to be."

The Summoner scowled, muttered "like you would know you waterlogged hack" under his breath and turned back to Tavros, squeezing his shoulders.

"It's up to you, kiddo." He said, "Whatever you want to do, you know I'm behind you."

But Tavros could see in his eyes which he was hoping for, which he'd already mentally decided Tavros would choose, without question. Tavros mentally cringed, realizing how much he was about to disappoint him.

"I, would like to go with the Admiral, please." He said, and watched his father's face crumble. In the Summoner's defense, he only let it show for a moment before he got himself back under control and smiled, ruffling his son's hair.

"All right." He said, trying to hide the remorse in his voice as he turned to the still primping Dualscar, "You heard the kid. He's yours. And you'd better take damn good care of him or it'll come out of your hide."

"The day you can lay a finger on my hide is the day I retire and row out to sea to let the sharks have me." Dualscar replied with a glare, and Summoner replied with a sharp toothed grin.

"I'll keep that in mind," He said, "I know a great stretch of shark infested shore line I can recommend you."

The two men wandered back towards Dualscar's carriage to sign papers and work out details, telling Tavros to go pack his bags. But Tavros waited, lingering in the barn until they were both out of sight. Then he hurried to a dark corner, sketching quickly in the dirt. This one was much simpler than the first, only two feet wide, and its instructions were simple and clear.

A few whispered words and a dab of spit, and the circle glowed and bubbled over, a small white shape forming in the center. This one was solid, unlike the amorphous spirits he'd called before. It took the shape of a bull no larger than a young cat, a pair of delicate wings fluttering on its back. It looked at Tavros with clear, intelligent eyes. Tavros pulled a letter from his clothes and pushed it carefully across the circle.

"Find my brother Rufioh as quickly as you can." He said in an anxious whisper, reaffirming what was written around the circle, "Deliver that to him. Then discorporate."

The fairybull gave no indication of having understood his words, but it picked up the letter and took off into the air, out through the barn's skylight. Tavros hurried outside through the barn's back door to watch it as it sailed high through the air, circling once over the house as it got its bearings, then turned and flew towards the sea.

When it was too far away to see anymore, Tavros returned to the barn and covered the binding circle with a tarp, shielding it with a hay bale, hoping it stayed intact long enough for the letter to reach Rufioh. The bull would vanish as soon as it was broken. The letter wasn't long or particularly emotional. Tavros hadn't really known what to say. So he just wrote,

"I'm going to the capitol. Come find me."


	2. Chapter 2

The Summoner's Companion - Chapter 2

They returned to the capital by ship, the journey taking more than a week. Tavros had never been so happy. He spent his free time dashing from one end of the ship to the other, endlesslly delighted by the water, the islands they passed, the work of the sailors, which mostly seemed to involve, to Tavros's eyes, a great deal of pulling on different ropes.  
Whenever Dualscar was not occupied with the business of captaining the ship, he was testing Tavros, putting him through the paces of his basic summoning skills again and again, in order to gague where Tavros was in his training. Though the Admiral's comments were often disparaging and implied Tavros was far behind, Tavros had a feeling the old aristocrat was pleased with him. And for the first time Tavros began to feel that maybe he really could be as good as his father had been, as good as his brother was. He'd grown so used to being the slightly disappointing one...  
Dualscar was brusk and abrasive and easily driven to frothing rages, but he was a surprisingly good teacher so long as Tavros was doing well. Tavros learned quickly however not to talk around the Admiral any more than he needed to, as his stammer drove his teacher to incoherent fury faster than almost anything else. The only thing that seemed to enrage him faster than having his time wasted by bumbling, was disrespect, as Tavros learned their third day at sea, when a deckhand muttered something crass in response to one of the Admiral's orders. Tavros had been standing near the top deck when it happened, sketching the ship's cat as it chased seagulls. He looked up in surprise as the chatter of the crew suddenly fell silent. Every man on deck was staring either at the now confused and slightly worried deckhand, or at the Admiral, frozen in mid step as he'd been about to continue on his way. Dualscar turned back slowly and Tavros shivered as he saw, even from this distance, a flash of rage that reminded him of the glitter of ice in the sea at night, cold and clear and lethal. Dualscar caught the deckhand by the throat, teeth bared and his hand on his sword like he was debating throwing the man overboard or gutting him here. Instead he seemed to think better of both. He grinned, a cruel smile that made Tavros's stomach twist with fear. Then he dragged the terrified man below deck. Tavros did not see him for the rest of the journey, but the crew were white faced and silent for days afterwords.  
Soon enough, the ship pulled into the docks of the capital and Tavros rushed to gather his things, staying close to the Admiral's side as they disembarked. He looked up at the tall, fierce man, almost as proud to be seen with such a figure as he was terrified.  
From the docks they took Dualscar's carriage, which looked grand and elegant here in the city rather than gaudy and overwrought, to Dualscar's estate outside of the city. Like most socialites, Dualscar had a townhome within the city for the social season, the period of the year when the most parties and introductions and social climbing was done, and a country estate where he lived the rest of the year. Tavros had expected to go to the townhouse, but as they pulled up to the sprawling manor he realized why they had not.  
Tavros had expected a man of Dualscar's renown to have more than one apprentice. He had not expected an entire fleet. They were lined up outside the front entrance to greet the Admiral as the carriage pulled up and Tavros counted more than a dozen of them. They were almost exclusively high born nobles, recognizable as much by their fine clothing and jewelry as by the disdainful way they looked down their noses at nearly everything around them. Tavros recognized one of the apprentices by the distinctive streak of white in his dark hair, which he shared with his father. That must be Dualscar's son Eridan. Tavros had heard the men on the ship talking about the Admiral's heir, who was already making a name for himself as a skilled summoner, and a ruthlessly efficient hunter of rogue summons. He was still an apprentice and supposedly he'd already put down a stage five.  
Dualscar climbed down from the carriage first and the gathered apprentices bowed respectfully as he swept past them towards the house. His son hurried after him as the Admiral moved inside, but the other apprentices stayed to watch Tavros climb nervously out of the carriage, trying very hard not to trip. "So who are you then?" Asked a tall blonde girl with sharp blue eyes, "I don't recognize you from any of my family's parties, and aaaaaaaall the noble houses come to my family's parties."  
Several of the other apprentices were watching him with equal interest, their expression not unlike that of predatory birds still deciding weather or not they would pounce.  
"I'm, Tavros." He said hesitantly, "N-nitram."  
He winced as his stutter broke through despite his efforts to control it and saw all the interest drain out of most of the apprentices, who turned away and began to wander off.  
"Oh, that explains it then." The tall girl said, looking mildly disappointed, "Lowborn. Your father was that traitor, right? I hear he was talented, but it doesn't look like any of that rubbed off on you, did it?"  
The girl didn't wait for a response. There was clearly nothing Tavros could have said that would have meant anything to her anyway. He watched her go, feeling a bit like he'd just been punched in the stomach.  
Only one other apprentice had lingered. He was one of the older boys, or at least Tavros assumed so by how freakishly tall and thin he was, his hair a halo of black curls around his head. His face was painted in the way of the devotees of the state church. He was probably in line to become a clerical summoner in the holy army. As Tavros looked at him he smiled and Tavros realized with a shudder that his mouth was stitched shut. It wasn't unusual for devotees to take vows of silence, but they were not usually so literally enforced. The other boy raised a hand and beckoned Tavros closer with two fingers. Tavros looked around warily, but the other apprentices and the servants that had been attending them had all already vanished back inside. Tavros didn't know where he was supposed to go. The porters had unloaded his bag and left it sitting behind him and now the carriage was pulling away, off to the stables. Maybe the strange apprentice wanted to show him to his room? Hoping that was the case, he picked up his bag and moved closer. The other boy was even taller close up. The stranger smiled, put a hand on his shoulder, and began to lead him away, not through the front entrance like everyone else, but off around the side of the house. Tavros followed the stranger through the slightly over grown gardens, the chirping of cicadas the only sound in the hot summer afternoon. The further they got from the front entrance, the more nervous Tavros became, clutching his bag close protectivly and wondering if the brick on the side of the house was smooth enough to hold a summon circle if he needed one.  
They reached a wooden door, partially covered by ivy, set into the side of the house. The tall boy brought a finger to his smiling lips, his dark eyes making the hair on Tavros's arms stand up. Then he pulled open the door. Behind it were a set of stone stairs leading down into cool darkness, silent as the grave. Tavros eyed the stairs suspiciously, then shook his head. There was no way in all seven realms he was going down there. The tall boy looked up suddenly, as though something had caught his attention. When Tavros looked up to see what he was looking at, he felt a large hand between his shoulder blades, shoving him forward. He stumbled a few steps down the stone stairs with a surprised shout, catching himself on the wall before he could fall all the way down. He looked back, afraid he'd see the door closing, locking him down here in the dark. But instead he saw the tall boy stepping inside after him, smiling at him placidly as though he couldn't imagine what had Tavros so nervous. He left the door open as he slid past Tavros and headed deeper into the dark. Tavros, confused but with nowhere else to go, followed him. The stairs, as it turned out, were only a few steps long. As Tavros's eyes adjusted to the dim light he realized they were in a lower kitchen, light filtering in from high windows. The tall boy swung himself up onto a counter, reclining there in a tangle of long angular limbs, and snatched an apple from a nearby basket, tossing it to Tavros. Tavros caught it, and felt relief wash over him. The strange boy had just been trying to be friendly. It had been hours since Tavros had eaten. He smiled back at the other boy gratefully and murmered a quiet thank you before he took a bite. The strange boy seemed delighted by this, smiling wider. Tavros set his bag down, taking another bite of his apple as he looked around the kitchen curiously. It must have been used recently for there to be fruit sitting out, but there was no sign of it having seen use today at least. And indoor kitchens were rarely used during the summer. The cooler outdoor ones that didn't heat up the entire house were much preferred. There was a second set of stairs, leading up into the rest of the house, Tavros imagined, and another door, slightly ajar. Tavros wandered over to it curiously. The opening was black as night and a cool draft rose up from it. Some kind of cellar or basement, Tavros assumed. He started to reach for the door, and suddenly became aware that the tall boy was standing very close behind him. He jumped, and started to turn, until he saw the cold glitter of a knife near his eye. Tavros could see the other boy from the corner of his vision, leaning over his shoulder, that eerie smile still in place.  
"Makara, what the hell are you doing?" Tavros's heart nearly stopped as he and the tall boy turned to look at the stairs, where the Admiral's son was standing, looking more inconvenienced than shocked to find his fellow apprentice pulling a knife on the new kid. He had a peculiar accent, perhaps a lisp, which turned his w's into v's.  
"Didn't you get enough last two times my father caught you traumatizing his new apprentices?" Eridan said, "You're lucky he let you stay at all after last time."  
The tall boy dropped back away from Tavros and produced an apple from seemingly nowhere, beginning to peel it with an innocent expression, as though that were all he'd ever intended.  
Eridan just scoffed and caught Tavros by the arm.  
"Come on." He said, "My father wants me to show you around. And a word of friendly advice? Never go anywhere alone with Kurloz Makara."  
He pulled Tavros up the stairs and into a ground floor hall, opulently decorated.  
"Makara?" Tavros repeated, throat suddenly going dry, "As in... the Makara?"  
Eridan shrugged dismissivly.  
"It's really not that exciting," He said, "The Grand Holy Bastille has enough brats and bastards to make a second holy army. Kurloz is just crazier than most. Or are you worried he targeted you cause of your dad? Don't be, he does this to all the newbies. Kurloz doesn't hold grudges so far as I can tell. He just likes scaring people."  
"Just, scaring?" Tavros asked, not sure he wanted to know the answer as he glanced back the way they had come.  
"Well, scaring," Eridan conceded, "And also maiming. Remind me to tell you about the last new apprentice we had some time. It makes for a great story on dark nights."  
Tavros felt a little sick, and realized he'd left his bag in the kitchen, but there was no chance he was going back to get it now.  
"The ground floor here is mostly useless," Eridan said, waving at most of the rooms they passed dismissivly, "It's all sitting rooms and parlors and such. Even my father barely uses them. The only rooms that matter down here are the library, which is through there, and the dining room, down that hall."  
Eridan gestured briefly in two directions and Tavros tried to remember which was which as the highborn apprentice was already heading for the stairs. He always walked a bit too quickly for Tavros to keep up, and Tavros sensed Eridan would really rather be doing something else. Tavros couldn't tell if the bored disdain he felt from the other boy was directed at him, or merely indignation at being relegated this menial task.  
"The library is great." Eridan was saying as he climbed the stairs, "If you're worth anything, you'll spend a lot of time in there. Our collection of naval records and military histories is second to none. My father used to read over them with me all the time, though he hasn't done it all lately. Which, obviously, is fine. I'm far too old to be read to in any case. But still, it'd be nice if he tried you know? Showed some interest. Not that I care."  
Tavros nodded sympathetically, the most he could manage after such a baffling line of personal exposition. But his apparent interest seemed to please Eridan, who spent the rest of the tour filling the gaps between landmarks with tales of his personal social difficulties. The tall blonde girl who'd insulted Tavros earlier appeared to vex him in particular. Her name was Vriska and she was, Eridan was keen to point out, probably the most talented apprentice there besides him. Although, Eridan was equally eager to point out, she was far too over inclined to solutions of brute force and leaving things up to chance rather than strategy. Eridan appeared to consider her his rival and was both confused and frustrated by her continuous dismissals of his requests to duel, or at least, maybe, get lunch sometime. He also spoke at length and with poetic fervor about his close personal childhood friend, the Imperial Princess Feferi herself. Apparently they communicated by letter regularly and it was practically a foregone conclusion that they'd be wed one day, something Eridan seemed to be anticipating with great eagerness, though whether his excitement came from looking forward to marrying his, according to him, closest and most beloved friend, or rather from the opportunity to marry into royalty, Tavros couldn't be sure.  
Eridan's emotional troubles had extended the tour throughout the afternoon, and didn't stop until, as the sun was setting, Tavros's stomach growled loudly. He blushed in embarassment and mumbled an apology, but Eridan waved it off.  
"Don't worry about it," he said, "You are lowborn after all. I'm sure you'll pick up some manners in no time. Dinner should be a good opportunity to practice, actually. Most nights we dine formally with my father in the ground floor dining room. He likes the pomp and circumstance, it makes him feel important or something."  
Tavros nodded, having had that impression as well during the voyage here, and Eridan grinned at him as they began to make their way back downstairs.  
"You know, for a peasent you're all right." He said, "You're an excellent listener. Everyone else is always trying to butt in with their problems and advice and shit. You just listen, I like that."  
Tavros, who had barely said two words all afternoon, unable to find any openings in Eridan's endless waterfall of emotional baggage, agreed that this was an apt description.  
"I, uh, I don't mind listening," He said hesitantly, "I'm just, uh, just glad to have, found a friend-"  
Eridan had winced at the first hint of Tavros's stutter and as Tavros tried to keep going the other boy held out his hands to cover Tavros's mouth.  
"Okay, I definitely like you better when you're quiet," Eridan said quickly, "That stopping and starting thing is unbearable. Stick to one word sentances maybe. As for the friend thing, I dunno, we'll see. If I went around making friends with every newbie dad brought home I'd lose my air of mystery."  
Tavros wouldn't have known what to say to that even if he could have spoken through the hands on his face, which smelled of salt and lavender perfume, though he was certain Eridan would have called it cologne.  
Eridan led Tavros back down to the ground floor and into the dining room, which was long and opulently decorated, as seemed to be the pattern for the rest of the ground floor, where most entertaining was done. The decor of all the other floors was decidely more austere. There were two long tables, one running the length of the room and a second perpendicular to it, in the center of which stood a large, elaborately decorated chair that could easily have been described as a throne.  
The lower table was already crowded with apprentices and guests, but the high table was nearly empty.  
"See you after dinner probably." Eridan said lightly, abandoning Tavros at the door as he headed up to the high table where a slightly smaller version of the throne sat beside the first. He took his seat there, leaving Tavros to try and find a space among the apprentices. Not brave enough to try and wedge himself in anywhere, he found a spot at the very end, and the pecking order of the apprentices quickly revealed itself as arguments broke out over who would have to sit nearest the lowborn newbie. He tried to ignore the loud complaining that they'd never be able to eat next to his stench. Eventually, it was Kurloz who put an end to the argument, looming out of the darkness to take the open space beside Tavros with his trademark eerie silence. The other apprentices fell silent and pressed closer together to give the silent Makara his space. Tavros wasn't sure whether to be grateful or worried.  
There was no food on the tables yet, and the apprentices talked among themselves, seemingly waiting for something. It became apparent why a moment later as a door on the far side of the room opened and Dualscar swept in with a whirl of his elaborate cloak. The apprentices leapt to their feet in dead silence, Tavros scrambling to join them and nearly toppling over as his foot got caught between the bench and the table. The Admiral stalked across the room and took his seat at the head of the table without once aknowleding any of them. For all that these fancy dinners seemed to be held for his benefit, he didn't seem to enjoy them much from what Tavros could see. He slumped in his chair, shoulders raised and lip curled like everything he saw was a lethal irritant. He called impaitently for the food to be served, and Tavros watched as servants filed into the room carrying trays of food which they laid out carefully along the table, assuring that Dualscar was served first and, by extension as he was furthest away from the Admiral, Tavros last. As he waited for the food to reach him, he saw the tall blonde girl, Vriska, eyeing him and muttering something to the girl next to her, who cackled in amusement. Tavros looked away, feeling decidedly uncomfortable.  
He only grew more uncomfortable as the food was actually served. The Admiral seemed to favor steak, and Tavros had never eaten meat. He felt his stomach turning a little bit looking at the plate, imaging what it used to be. He glanced over at Kurloz, who had received a deep red soup instead of steak, and had wedged a straw between the threads holding his mouth closed in order to drink it. It was not an appetizing thing to see, but he supposed Kurloz didn't have much choice considering.  
A short, thin young woman with straight black hair and an unpleasent expression was passing him, taking serving trays back to the kitchen, and he reached out hesitantly to stop her.  
"Uh, um, I'm sorry," He said quickly, "But, uh, could I have, what he's having, i-instead of this?"  
The thin woman's mouth turned up in an expression of disdain and she spat something at him in a language he didn't understand before turning away, leaving Tavros confused and unsure what he'd done wrong.  
"Don't mind her," said a second young woman, who could have been the first's double except she that she was much plumper and considerably more friendly looking, "Damara's like that to everyone. What did you need?"  
Tavros smiled gratefully at the girl, glad someone here didn't seem unhappy to see him.  
"I, uh, I was wondering if, I could get the soup," He said hesitantly, "I don't, uh, I don't really like, eating meat."  
The girl glanced at Kurloz's soup and shuddered.  
"Trust me, you do not want that." She said sincerely, "But I can get you some more bread, some cheese maybe. And tomorrow night I'll bake you a potato. How's that sound?"  
"That sounds, great," Tavros said with relief, "Thank you, very much. I'm, Tavros."  
The girl's smile brightened, bringing out dimples in her cheeks.  
"I'm Aradia." She said, "And thank you. It's not often one of Dualscar's apprentices has any kind of manners. I'm gonna get you an orange, just for being sweet."  
Tavros blushed, unsure how to handle such compliments, and as he tried to stammer out a reply Aradia just laughed a little and gave him a polite bow before carrying on with what she'd been doing. Tavros turned back to the table, a warm feeling in his stomach at having met someone nice here at last. The warm feeling vanished a moment later as he saw several of the apprentices casting him slightly disgusted looks, and Vriska and her friend fighting to hold back laughter.  
"You know, we could always use another kitchen boy." Vriska said, blue eyes glittering with malicious mirth, "Since it seems like you get along with them so much better anyway. And just think, if you drop out tonight, not only will you get a job that actually suits you, you'll never have to embarass yourself in front of the Admiral. It's really the best option for you, trust me."  
Tavros looked down, insides squirming with frustration and anger.  
"I think, uh, I think maybe, you'll be the one, who embarasses yourself, in front of the Admiral," he said at last, though he didn't have the courage to meet her eye when he said it, "You'll, be really embarassed, when you, uh, faint, uh, when you see, how great my summoning is. And then, maybe you can join, the kitchens, if, that is, they aren't too worried, your, general nasty attitude, would poison all the food."  
Vriska listened to this without interrupting, though she was clearly still fighting laughter. She lost the fight as he finished, cracking up and banging on the table in amusement.  
"Wow, that has to be one of the most pathetic things I've ever heard," She said breathlessly when she could talk again, whiping a tear from her eye, "I suppose you get some credit for even trying but really if your game is that weak even trying should kind of be held against you. I guess you're not totally spineless though, so that should be fun at least."  
Tavros didn't want to know what Vriska's idea of fun was. He had a feeling it had more in common with Kurloz's idea of fun than his own. But he didn't reply, and though Vriska sent several more jabs his way, he was as silent as Kurloz the rest of dinner, only looking up to smile gratefully at Aradia when she returned with the bread and cheese she'd promised, as well as the orange, which was delicious.  
When dinner ended, he tried to find Eridan in the crush of apprentices heading for the door, but the highborn boy seemed to have forgotten about him. Tavros followed the crowd instead, hoping they would lead him to where he was supposed to go. The apprentices headed upstairs to the second floor. As they filed through a set of large doors, Tavros realized there was a dorm beyond them lined with beds. He smiled in relief and started to enter the room, eager to claim a bed. It had been a long and exhausting day and he couldn't wait to hide under the covers and pretend he was somewhere far away.  
As he stepped over the threshold, Eridan appeared in front of him, stopping him in his tracks.  
"Whoa there," Eridan said with a small, insincere laugh, gently urging him backwards until he could close the dorm's doors behind him, "Where are you going?"  
"To bed?" Tavros said hopefully, heart sinking.  
"The thing is," Eridan replied, "There aren't any free beds in there. It's all full. You'll have to find somewhere else."  
He leaned forward conspiratorily, trying and failing to look sympathic.  
"To be honest, it's for the best," He said, "No one would have got any sleep and then everyone would be cranky in the morning and, really, it's better you just sleep somewhere else."  
Tavros nodded a little numbly, shoulders hanging. Yeah, that seemed about right for how this day had been going. Where was he going to go? Maybe he could find a nice chair in the library.  
As Tavros contemplated his possibilities, a flash of genuine sympathy crossed Eridan's face.  
"Well, I guess you were all right this morning," Eridan muttered, "Listening to me and all. I think I know a place for you."  
He set off, and Tavros followed. When they passed the hall to the lower kitchens, he convinced Eridan to wait for a moment while he retrieved his bag. It was thankfully intact, though he had a feeling Kurloz had gone through it and just not found anything worth taking. Eridan, when he was done complaining about Tavros making him wait while Eridan was trying to do something nice for him, led him up the stairs all the way through the fourth floor of the building, and into the attic.  
"This is normally spare servant's quarters," Eridan explained as he showed Tavros the dusty, drafty loft, "But it isn't being used right now. You'll have it all to yourself! I'm kind of jealous actually. I should get my own room. Whatever. There's a bed in that corner."  
Tavros eyed the bare, slightly moldering mattress uneasily, but Eridan seemed quite pleased with himself and his good deed. He clapped Tavros on the shoulder.  
"Well, get some rest." He said, "We start work at sunrise. Well, you start work. I'll start at a more sane hour. They know better than to wake me that early."  
"Thanks, Eridan." Tavros said, though he was finding it hard to feel grateful for this cold and ominous attic, "I guess, I'll see you tomorrow..."  
"See you then," Eridan said, his attention already elsewhere, "Maybe we can talk more."  
Then he was gone and Tavros was alone in his new and severely unwelcoming home. He prodded the mattress a few times and watched a few spiders scurry out, before deciding to sit on the floor. At least the window was nice. Set into the peaked end of the room that faced the front of the house, the large round window looked out across the elaborate and well maintained gardens and grounds, all the way to the forest. He felt a sudden pull to just leave, to run to those woods and leave everything else behind, like Rufioh had. Then there was a quiet knock on the attic door and he turned, standing up.  
The door opened and Aradia peeked in, a smile on her face.  
"Hey, Tavros." She said brightly, "I saw Eridan leading you up here. They wouldn't let you stay in the dorms, huh?"  
Tavros shook his head and sighed.  
"Yeah, I figured," Aradia said sympathetically, "I didn't realize you were lowborn until the rest of the servants overheard it. I brought you some sheets."  
She held up a stack of linens, which Tavros took gratefully.  
"Thank you." He said sincerely, "I was really, not looking forward to sleeping on that thing."  
Aradia eyed the mattress with morbid interest, poking it and watching a centipede fall out.  
"I'll get you a new mattress tomorrow." She said, "I'd do it sooner but some of the staff might tattle to Dualscar if I made too big a thing of it."  
"He'd, be angry?" Tavros asked, frowning.  
"Oh definitely!" Aradia said with a laugh, "There isn't much that doesn't make him angry. He certainly knew how the other apprentices were going to react. But just having you here is enough to satisfy his social obligation to give the Summoner's heir a shot. He doesn't have to look out for you. So he won't. Dualscar doesn't look out for anyone but Dualscar."  
Tavros felt miserable tears stinging in his eyes and tried to hold them back. He'd been looking forward to this so much. He hadn't been prepared to find himself so unwanted by everyone, including his teacher. As he sniffled and choked, trying not to start sobbing, Aradia put an arm around him and he reached out to hug her tightly. She was warm and soft and smelled like grass and bread baking. She rubbed his back until he could compose himself again.  
"I'm sure things will get better," She assured him, "You have to be a great summoner for him to have brought you here. The other apprentices will soon get used to you once they see you're just as good as they are. Just hang in there, okay?"  
He nodded miserably and sniffled, hoping he hadn't got her shirt wet.  
"Thank you, Aradia," He said again, rubbing his eyes, "I'm just, really glad, there's at least one nice person here."  
"Two nice people now," Aradia corrected, smiling at him, and Tavros looked away, flustered, "If things get too rough, you're always welcome to come visit me in the kitchens."  
They said their goodbyes, and Tavros dragged the awful mattress off the bed and shook it out as much as he could before putting the clean sheets on it. He went to bed, just hoping things would be better in the morning.

Things were not better in the morning. He slept poorly, which turned out to be a good thing, as otherwise he would surely have overslept, and as he'd expected no one came to wake him. A little before sunrise he dragged himself out of bed and got dressed, then stumbled downstairs to breakfast. He turned out to be slightly early, and so took his time with the fruit and oatmeal a yawning Aradia brought him before the other apprentices stumbled in. He noticed Eridan and a few of the other apprentices, those with the most money and titles he assumed, did not attend. Kurloz was there unfortunetly. He seemed to have decided he liked Tavros, or maybe just liked how uncomfortable Tavros got when he was around, and so was never far from Tavros's side. Vriska was there as well, flicking bits of sausage at him all through the meal.  
Tavros soon discovered why Dualscar had such a hoarde of apprentices. It wasn't out of any exuberant love of teaching, that was for certain. Tavros barely saw the Admiral all day. It was instead out of a passion for free labor. As soon as breakfast was finished the apprentices were put to work at the various tasks around the manor too delicate or requiring too much academic knowledge for the household servants to handle. They sorted ritual components for advanced summonings, assembled fetishes for protection on the battlefield from wild summons, catalogued books and research on new summons and summoning techniques, scoured magical residue from the Admiral's weapons and research tools... The work was tedious and never ending, but Tavros was still learning. He supposed these kind of things were good for a summoner to know how to do as well. He only wished he were better at it. For every time Vriska tripped him while he was carrying a tray of potions or Kurloz appeared suddenly in front of him just as he was pinning a delicate specimen to a backboard and startled him into stabbing himself, there were two more where he mislabled a jar of lamb's blood as goat's blood or knocked over a table full of priceless ancient summon fossiles. The more he messed up, the more his nerves grew, and the more scattered and shaky and likely to mess up again he became. It was a vicious cycle. By the time Eridan wandered in at noon, the other apprentices hated Tavros even more than they already had.  
The break for lunch was a welcome reprieve, but it couldn't lift Tavros's spirits. He picked miserably at the sandwhich Aradia had made for him, thinking not for the first or last time that maybe he really didn't belong here. Kurloz, in a rare show of what might have been sympathy, patted him on the shoulder consolingly, and stole his apple. Tavros, who didn't have much appatite anyway, watched the older boy slice the apple into tiny pieces and push them between his stitches without comment.

It wasn't until almost sundown that Dualscar finally appeared, done with whatever urgent business had occupied him the entire day. He gathered the apprentices into a basement summoning chamber where a thick, elegant circle had been laid into the stone. Heavy rings of copper formed the outer band, the space between them open so that whatever command sigils were required could be drawn in with chalk. Copper was the standard for these kind of rings. Often the blood of the summoner was mixed into the metal when it was cast to charge it with extra power. The inner band was silver, and this was where the summoner's secret name and the name of the creature he was summoning (if he were calling something powerful enough to be named) could be written. The innermost band, the one surrounding the spot where the summon would be generated, the locus of the gate into the other realms, was made of a thin line of gold electrum, bright and beautiful and unbreakable. It would hold a summon of any strength in place. "The empress is mounting a new front," Dualscar announced as they gathered around the circle, "She's declared the far eastern continent to be sovreign territory of the Empire, and intends to claim it by force. The land mass itself is vast and heavily varied in terrain, so she requires versatile, hardy summons that can accompany her ground troops anywhere. Small enough to be stealthy, but still big enough to pack a punch, and they can't require too much power to keep going or the pathetic hedgemages the imperial army calls battle summoners won't be able to maintain enough for the entire army at one time. What is the best summon for this job?"  
He turned immedietly to Tavros as Kurloz pushed him encouragingly forward.  
"New boy," The admiral snapped, "You must have learned something scrabbling in the dirt back on your farm. What should we summon?"  
Tavros knew the answer. Positively charged Class 4 Devouring Cats were agile in all terrain, deadly in close combat, and could even carry gear or wounded. With the right augmentations, you could even give them wings, turning them into powerful ranged units. But the words wouldn't come to him. He stuttered and caught on the names, and finally gave up, hanging his head. Dualscar rolled his eyes.  
"Eridan?" He said expectantly, turning to his son.  
"Negatively charged Class 6 Shrieking Lizards." Eridan answered immedietly, "They're heavy hitters in close combat and their screams can disable at a distance but their compact enough to be stealthy. Class 6 might be pushing it for those grunts, but they could use some real practice."  
Tavros wanted to argue. Shrieking Lizards had short, stumpy legs. They were deadly in the water and dangerous on even terrain, but heavy underbrush and mountainous terrain would stop them cold. They were also notoriously difficult to augment, making them the exact opposite of versatile. But Dualscar was nodding in approval, smirking at the dig towards the enlisted battle summoners. "Good, very good." He declared, "Now. Let's see one of you try to summon one. New boy."  
He beckoned Tavros forward and Tavros felt his heart sink into the pit of his stomach.  
"Let's try this again, shall we?" The Admiral declared, "Prove to me what you did in that barn wasn't a fluke."  
Tavros stepped forward to the edge of the copper ring, panicking on the inside. He'd never summoned anything above a Class 4, and he'd only ever used chalk circles. He understood the mechanics of permenant circles, but that wouldn't make suddenly adjusting to one any easier. But he couldn't exactly say no.  
He scrambled to remember what to do, pulling his chalk out of his pocket and began scribbling in the parameters between the copper and silver rings.  
"No, boy," Dualscar said impaitently, "You've written that sigil backwards. And do hurry up. I did have other lessons planned for today." Tavros's heart felt like it was going to explode as he hurried to scrub out the incorrect sigil and draw in the right one. He rushed to finish, putting his name into the silver band and stepping back to check his work. Dualscar eyed the sigils impaitently and waved Tavros on.  
Tavros took a deep breath, trying to forget how many people were watching him, judging him, and raised his hands. A blue green light like sunlight streaming through deep water began to bubble and coil around the edges of the circle, rolling and building towards the center.  
"Careful," Dualscar snapped as it splashed near his shoes, "Keep your energy in the circle, you idiot! I've seen first time summoners with more self control."  
Tavros faltered, the light flickering and curdling, but he shook his head and tried to focus, bringing it back as he built it up towards the center, constructing the right shape for the spirit he wanted. He realized, like a punch in the gut, he'd forgotten the sacrifice. He couldn't let the magic fall to go and get something, or even find a knife for a blood sacrifice. Feeling trapped, he spat hard into the center of the circle, ignoring the chorus of disgusted noises from the other apprentices, and hoped that would be enough for a class 6. It had worked for 4s before.  
The light flared as he made his offering and he scrambled to keep control. He could do this, he was almost done. He just had to solidify it. Something bounced off the back of his head, then rolled past his feet. He looked down at it, blinking, and wasn't sure if he was more offended or impressed that Vriska had managed to hold onto a piece of sausage from breakfast this long just to mess with him. That flicker in his attention was all it took. Before he could bring his focus back, the light he'd been building up collapsed in on itself, fizzling like baking soda in water before it sputtered out, leaving the circle empty.  
Dualscar applauded sarcasticly.  
"Mr. Nitram has just given us an excellent example of how to produce a lot of light and noise with precisely zero result," The Admiral said sarcastically, "If you're looking to reveal your position to the enemy and get everyone relying on you killed, that's the way to do it."  
Tavros stepped away from the circle as the other apprentices laughed, his head down in shame.  
"Your work is so sloppy and counter intuitive I wouldn't even know how to tell you where you went wrong," Dualscar continued, looking down at the chalk sigils disdainfully, "It's clear you need to start over from the basics, if there's any hope for you at all, which I doubt. Eridan, show them how it's done."  
Eridan performed the summons flawlessly, and Tavros slunk to the back of the group, hoping he could stay out of sight for the rest of the night.  
As the class finally drew to a close a few hours later, Dualscar had one last announcement while the apprentices cleaned up the summoning circle.  
"Now, as I mentioned before," He said, "The Empress is making a military push into the eastern continent. I'm to leave for the front in a month. I intend to take the three best apprentices along with me to present to the Empress. To be perfectly honest, I've already decided on the only three of you with any real talent. But perhaps if you work very hard you'll change my mind. I expect to see all of you working your hardest until then. Dismissed."  
Eridan caught up to Tavros as he shuffled out of the classroom, falling in beside Tavros with an exaggerated sigh of exhaustion.  
"What a day!" He declared, "Summoning a class 6 on the spot like that is surprisingly exhausting! Nothing a person of my pedigree couldn't handle of course. You saw it right?"  
Tavros nodded.  
"It, uh, it was great," He said, trying to be friendly, "Flawless."  
Eridan practically glowed with pride.  
"Well, not flawless," he said, preening a little, "Though I can see why someone of your skill level would think it was. My sigils weren't clean enough and I was sloppy with the architecture. You wouldn't have seen that of course. I'm certain the admiral took note though... Not that it matters! It's not as though he wouldn't choose me for the expedition, that's farsicle to even suggest, what's wrong with you?"  
Tavros looked up at Eridan's suddenly unreadable expression, wondering if he'd imagined that flash of self deprication behind the boy's otherwise immaculate arrogance. Eridan looked eager to change the subject.  
"Actually," He said, a touch quieter, "Your architecture was quite neat. I was surprised someone like you could manage something that complex. The Admiral was right about your notation being over complicated, you pack in far too many redundancies, it shows a lack of confidence. But still, I can see why he brought you here."  
He cleared his throat, possibly embarassed at the thought of having complimented a lowborn, even obliquely, and when one of the other apprentices called out to him he hurried off without saying goodbye. But Tavros felt like smiling for the first time that day. And at dinner, Kurloz only stole half of his apple. All in all, the day could have ended worse.  
He made his way up to the attic that night and smiled when he saw Aradia had come through with the new mattress. He fell into bed and just lay for a moment, luxuriating in the smell of clean linen and the absense of itching or bugs. So, today had been harder than he'd expected. He could still do this. He even kind of had friends now. Aradia, Eridan (though he'd probably deny it), Kurloz (maybe, though he might still be in it just because he found Tavros's floundering amusing). It was more than he'd had on the island. It was progress. He took a deep breath and rolled over onto his back to look out the round attic window, through which the moon was shining brightly enough to illuminate the entire attic. He'd need to get curtains next, he thought mildly, and clean out some of the spiders...  
His thoughts wandered to the expedition at the end of the month. There was little chance he would be chosen, but he couldn't help imagining what it might be like to be on the front lines with Admiral Dualscar, summoning along side the best the imperial army had to offer. He told himself not to get his hopes up, but he couldn't help wishing. If he could just study longer, work harder than everyone else, make the Admiral see he wasn't a fluke...  
He rolled over, trying to dismiss the excited buzz starting up in his stomach. It didn't work.  
An hour later found him sneaking down the stairs to the ground floor library, a massive room on two floors that occupied most of the rear of the stately manor house. The Admiral had said he should start again with the basics, so that's where Tavros started, locating the beginners books and settling down in a cozy corner to start reading. If Tavros didn't have his father's talent and didn't have the highborn's all important pedigree, then he would just have to work harder than everyone else. 


	3. Chapter 3

The Summoner's Companion Chapter 3

Tavros soon adjusted to the rhythm of his new life. Aradia woke him a little before sunrise every morning. He had breakfast in the kitchens with her, usually with a book in hand. In the mornings he studied the basics, the beginner skills his father had taught him, learning to do them the way Dualscar wanted even if, as he sometimes found, Dualscar's methods were less effective. The best advice he'd received in that matter hadn't come from Dualscar, but from Eridan. He had been overcomplicating his sigils, building in too many redundancies out of fear of failure. With study he began to streamline his work and make it neater. Aradia had picked up more than a little general knowledge of magical practices, having grown up in this house surrounded by it. She would quiz Tavros while he ate and she scrubbed last night's dishes. If he didn't perform to her satisfaction, she would demand he help her with them, which he didn't mind so much, even if the other apprentices laughed about his dish pan hands later. All the studying in the world couldn't do much for his clumsiness, so chores continued to be a difficulty, unaided by the fact that Vriska never seemed to tire of sabotaging him. Kurloz did his fair share of sabotaging as well, but Tavros could never tell if it was intentional or not. The strange older boy just seemed to like hanging around Tavros, presumably amused by his fumbling. For all Tavros knew, the way he suddenly seemed to loom out of nowhere holding sharp objects just as Tavros was trying to focus or carry something delicate might just be a coincidence. He certainly never seemed to do anything overt to harm Tavros, though that might have only been out of deference to Eridan, who, despite his continuous insistence of the opposite, seemed to have decided Tavros was his friend. While Tavros and the other apprentices did chores, the Admiral's son would often lounge nearby, describing his problems to Tavros at length. Tavros rarely had to say anything in reply, which was how Eridan liked it. Though the other boy played it off, Tavros began to suspect that Eridan didn't like himself very much. Though he covered it with mountains of self-absorption and arrogance, at the end of all his rambling about his cornucopia of troubles, his general conclusion seemed to be that they were his own fault.

In the evenings Tavros would consume his dinner at high speed and bolt as soon as he'd finished, heading directly for the library, where he'd study through the rest of dinner and a few hours past bedtime. Being perpetually a few hours short of sleep might have contributed to his nervous clumsiness, but it was worth it to feel himself catching up to the other apprentices. The Admiral hadn't asked him to take part in another demonstration since that disastrous first day, but Tavros was confidant now that, when it happened, he'd be ready.

Meanwhile, the date when Dualscar would choose which apprentices joined him on the front lines drew ever closer. Though all the more ambitious apprentices were gunning for a spot, everyone was fairly resigned to the fact that the positions had already been filled. Eridan was definitely going, and not only because of nepotism, though that was a factor. Kurloz likely had the second spot. Creepy as he could be, he was incredibly talented, and Dualscar was eager to curry favor with his father, leader of the Mirthful Church. The third spot was the only one considered not set completely in stone. It was likely to go to Vriska, as she was one of the most skilled of the bunch. But she frequently butted heads with Dualscar, who disliked her haphazard, reckless style which left too much up to chance. When things went right for her, they went right in the most dazzling way possible, but equally so when they went wrong. There were rumors that said Vriska's mother was an ex-lover of Dualscar's and that assured her a spot, and an equal amount of rumors that said the same thing made it certain she would not. Either way, anyone who wanted Vriska's place would have to get past Vriska herself, a daunting challenge even without her summoning skills to consider. Vriska was ruthless, and had her eyes set on nothing less than the top. In Vriska's not-so-humble opinion, if she couldn't be the best at something, it wasn't worth doing.

Tavros couldn't pretend he didn't quietly hope he might be chosen, just to prove that he really was good enough to be here. But he didn't really expect it to happen. He knew he wasn't anywhere near the level of the other three. But he kept studying anyway, ever hopeful.

"All right, someone get up here and give us an example of a class six summon," Dualscar said, somewhere between annoyed and too bored to care, "Though I highly doubt any of you could manage a four."

It had been a frustrating day for the Admiral. Even Eridan had received a scalding lecture after his wrote the incorrect sigil in his circle. Dualscar was in a foul mood, likely to cancel to rest of the lesson and send them all back to chores at any moment. There was no rush of volunteers. By now they all knew whoever went up there wasn't coming back without getting berated for something.

Tavros felt Kurloz's hand on his back, but he was already moving forward before the push came, hands clenched tightly at his sides as he gathered his courage.

"Um, I can do it, sir," He said, trying his best to sound confident.

Dualscar snorted derisively.

"Why not?" He said throwing up his hands, "You can hardly do worse than we've already seen today. Come on, show us how not to summon a class six. Just try not to blow anything up, will you?"

Tavros swallowed nervously, then pulled out his chalk and got to work. He'd been practicing his class six summons in the evenings. He knew exactly what he'd do. His vision narrowed to only the precise, careful sigils as he worked his way around the summoning circle, blocking out the sound of Vriska snickering and whispering something about him to his friends, blocking out the impatient muttering of the Admiral. He checked over his work quickly before he stood, looking for imperfections, then turned to grab a handful of supplies from the workbench. Above a class five, a simple donation of saliva or hair or even blood wasn't enough. Class six and higher summons needed something more solid to build their forms on. What tribute was chosen had significant impact on the summon itself as well.

Tavros snatched a handful of dried rose petals, the skeleton of a mouse, and a pinch of cinnamon. As he cast them into the center of the circle Dualscar stopped sighing impatiently, raising a curious eyebrow instead.

Tavros stepped back, and drew from his pocket the wand he'd been working on. All the great summoners had such tools. His fathers had been massive, more a lance than a wand, and still hung above the fireplace at home. Wands served many purposes, the most important of which was building the energy architecture to sculpt and augment summons. Summons had no set form. They were like liquid, taking the shape of whatever container you poured them in to. Some were more fluid than others, and there were standardized patterns that every summoner knew, but in truth there was no limit to what could be made by a competent summoner. Class was determined by complexity of the shape and the amount of power required to construct it. Positive or negative charges had more to do with the disposition of the summoner than anything else, but a good summoner could do both. Positively charged summons tended to be passive, seeking the path of least resistance towards what it wanted. Negatively charged summons were aggressive, plowing directly through whatever stood in their way.

Tavros's wand, though he hadn't yet used it in a real summoning, was made of a twisted branch of willow he'd found on the grounds of Dualscar's estate, wrapped in copper wire. A sharp quartz crystal was fixed to the tip, and it was this Tavros brought to his palm as he began to sing his summoning. Not everyone worked in music, many just chanted. Kurloz didn't speak at all. But for Tavros, singing was easiest, and the one time his stammer didn't get in the way. He closed his eyes, rocking a little on the edge of the circle as the words flowed from him in the esoteric language of summoning, declaring his intentions and his desires.

Slowly, a rose colored light began to build in the circle, pulsing and flowing at first like fog, and then like lava, thick and bubbling and bright, boiling and splashing as it grew. Tavros drew out the lines of what he wanted, almost able to see the shape he was building, a cage of golden light which the rose liquid climbed like growing roses, building higher and higher as he conducted it. As it reached its peak he brought the sharp quartz of the wand down on his palm, opening up a small gash. He cast his blood into the circle to solidify the summon, and with a high and musical cry the creature unfolded.

It was massive, at least two feet higher than the Admiral. It was mostly insect, spreading thin, shimmering wings behind its glossy carapace, its many shifting iridescent limbs. Its head however was a cluster of rosy petals. On closer examination, its wings were only diaphanous leaves, its scythe like fore limbs only corded, twisted vines and barbed thorns. It shifted in the circle, turning its heavy, cabbage rose head towards Tavros with a chime like striking a crystal drinking glass.

"An Orchid Mantis," Dualscar said, and there was a tone of something impressed in his voice, "I haven't seen one of those in twenty years. What books have you been reading, lad?"

He circled the creature, looking it over critically. Tavros held his breath, feeling drained but exhilarated.

"Seems well made," The Admiral continued, "No deformities. Positively charge, so perhaps a bit too placid for the battlefield, but obedient. You took far too long drawing your circle of course, but..."

He stopped, nodded, and patted Tavros on the shoulder.

"Good workmanship lad," He said, "Take notes, you lot. You should all be leaving this charity case in the dust. Are you really going to let yourselves be outdone by a commoner who can't say his own name without stuttering?"

Tavros's delight at the compliment deflated somewhat at that, but still. Dualscar approved of his work. He'd impressed him.

Dualscar ended the lesson a few minutes later, once Tavros had broken down his summon and returned its energies to the other side. Tavros, giddy with delight, stumbled out of the summoning chamber with the other apprentices. Kurloz ruffled his hair in passing and gave him a thumbs up, making Tavros's grin all the wider. Maybe the guy really did like him.

"I guess you did pretty decent in there today," Eridan said as Tavros caught up with him. He looked a little miffed and Tavros could guess why. Eridan's work had been just as clean as his own as far as Tavros could tell, but Dualscar had torn Eridan up anyway.

"I took your advice," Tavros said, hoping to cheer up the other apprentice a bit, "About, uh, simplifying my sigils. You were, completely right, about, uh, how I was putting in too many redundancies. Thank you."

Eridan's sullen expression was gradually overwritten by flattered appreciation, though he tried to hide it.

"Yeah, well, that's only to be expected," He said, "I gotta live up to my father's excellent teaching standards and all. You're welcome."

Tavros smiled, glad he wasn't at risk of losing one of his only friends here. He started to say something, but was cut off as someone collided hard with him, knocking him off balance. He stumbled but caught himself and looked up in surprise.

Vriska, having 'accidentally' collided with him, glared down her nose at him.

"Don't think you're anything special just because you had one good summoning," She said sharply, "You're nowhere near the level of the rest of us."

"Back off, Serket," Eridan said, stepping between them, looking somewhat surprised to find himself doing so, "He's no threat to you."

"Are you kidding?" Vriska said with a laugh like a staccato bark, "I'm helping him. He's never going to get any better if he gets a swelled head now. I'm just reminding him where his place is."

"I think it's time someone reminded you where your place is," Eridan said dangerously, "Your mother may be titled, but everyone knows she's a traitorous thief."

Vriska's eyes widened, her nostrils flared, and Tavros saw her fist rising. He moved without thinking to get between her and Eridan, but she'd pulled back even before Eridan held out an arm to stop him.

"Careful, Serket," Eridan said, unflinching, "Your mother's petty nobility won't protect you from assaulting the son of an Admiral."

"Really? Threatening to tell daddy on me?" Vriska said, lip curled in disdain, "And I thought your shoddy magic was the most disgraceful thing about you."

"Shoddy enough to take you down any day," Eridan shot back, bristling visibly, "You've never summoned above a class five."

They looked ready to go for each other's throats right there in the hall before the other apprentices gathered around the argument suddenly parted hurriedly to allow Dualscar himself through.

"Quit blocking the hall you lazy, gossiping little toe rags!" Dualscar snapped, clearly back to his usual foul mood, "If my dinner is cold before I get to it I'll skin the lot of you!"

Eridan put an arm around Tavros and they hurried away, staying clear of Vriska as they headed for the dining room.

"Thank you," Tavros mumbled as they went, "For defending me."

"You mean picking a fight with Vriska?" Eridan said with a nasty grin, "Any day. That little peasant is one to talk about swelled heads... That reminds me, that wand you used in class today, where did you get it?"

"Oh, uh, I made it," Tavros replied, a little confused by the change in subject, "I've been, uh, studying ahead at night, and, it seemed pretty simple..."

"Really?" Eridan seemed impressed, "The wand makers in town must be vastly overcharging if you can do it in your spare time. Do you think you could make me one?"

"I could, try," Tavros said, a little flattered, "I'd need, uh, some information-"

"Swell, I'll meet you in the library tonight," Eridan said, patting Tavros heavily on the back, "Don't be late."

By then they'd reached the dining room and Eridan strode off towards his usual seat. Tavros took his own normal place beside Kurloz. Vriska ignored him solidly throughout dinner, to Tavros's relief, but somehow he didn't think he was safe from her. She might be acting like he wasn't worth her time now, but Tavros was certain she had plans for him. He'd just have to be careful to stay near the other apprentices when she was around for a while. She'd probably forget by the end of the month, once it was time for the best apprentices to leave with the Admiral.

He met Eridan in the library that evening, as he'd said he would. The massive, two story room was filled with a labyrinthine multitude of shelves laid out in no real recognizable pattern. Tavros had learned quickly that if you couldn't locate what you wanted magically, you weren't going to locate it at all.

The other boy was already there when Tavros arrived, waiting near the library doors and tapping his foot impatiently.

"There you are," he said, "What took you so long?"

"I, uh, I was..." Tavros fumbled, looking for an excuse other than 'helping Aradia clear the table' which was certain to launch Eridan into a lecture about how Tavros shouldn't be associating with those kind of people any more even if he was undoubtedly better suited to that kind of work. Luckily, Eridan cut him off as soon as he started stammering.

"Never mind," He sighed, "You're here now. So tell me about this wand making stuff. How did you do it?"

"Uh, well," Tavros, glad for the change of subject, began leading the way into the shelves, Eridan following him blithely, "I was, looking for books on, beginner magic. And I just kind of, uh, found this book on wandcraft, by accident? And, I read it, since wands can be, really useful, and a lot of it was, kind of, uh, kind of stupid? A lot of pretentious stuff, about 'superior materials' but, in the end, it did explain how they're made, and, I realized the materials, didn't really factor in, at all. Or at least, not very much. All, that really matters, is the shape, and that it's connected to your energy. You only need, to be min maxing your, uh, your materials, if you're planning on a career, in dueling or something."

Eridan had never let Tavros talk so long before, and Tavros was quietly pleased. The other boy wasn't even flinching when Tavros got hung up. As he talked, Tavros led Eridan through the shelves to the center of the maze of books, where there was a comfortable reading area tucked away near a high yellow window. Two comfortable leather armchairs and a small loveseat were arranged artfully near a round table, on which Tavros had stacked up the books he was currently working with. He dug out the one about wandlore, Eridan catching the stack of books as Tavros nearly tipped it over in the process.

Tavros flipped through the tome quickly, scanning for what he needed.

"So, uh, your birthday is in, early February right?" Tavros asked.

"Yes, how did you know?" Eridan replied, puzzled.

"You, uh, you mentioned it, a little while after we met," Tavros replied, "You were talking about, uh, the last time you visited the Princess. You said, it was for your birthday."

"How surprisingly astute of you," Eridan said, looking a little flattered, "My own father barely remembers- Anyway, yes, it's February 4th."

Tavros grinned, glad he'd got it right, and flipped a few pages further into his book.

"That would make, uh, rowan, the best wand wood for you," Tavros said, "Is there, a rowan tree anywhere on the grounds, do you think?"

"I have no idea," Eridan replied, "What does a rowan tree even look like?"

"Uh, we'll figure it out," Tavros said with a shrug, "I also need, uh, your height, your eye color, a few other things..."

Tavros settled down in one of the chairs and Eridan leaned on the back so that he could peer over Tavros's shoulder into the book. Before long an expedition was planned to go wander around the manor grounds in search of a rowan tree. All the other materials they would need could easily be stolen from Dualscar's stores in the course of their daily chores. Eridan conceded to get up before noon so they could perform their search after breakfast, during the morning chores Eridan usually skipped anyway. They planned to do it the next day. Tavros could feel his excitement growing the more they talked about it, and to his surprise he could tell Eridan was excited too, and not just by the prospect of a new wand. They were going to have an adventure together, however small and mundane.

Tavros got up early the next day, and hurried downstairs towards the kitchens. He was digging through the pantry for snacks to bring with them on their expedition when Aradia arrived, yawning, for her morning chores.

"Hey! What are you doing in there?" Aradia said, pulling him out of the cabinet by the back of his shirt, "That's for breakfast!"

Tavros removed an apple from his mouth to reply, grinning.

"Me and Eridan, are going on an adventure!" He said excitedly, "He wants my help, to make his own wand, so we're going to go out, and find a rowan tree, to make it with!"

"Oh," Aradia said, letting him go, "Well that makes sense then!"

She grinned and took the bag he'd been pushing snacks in to and started helping him, adding in a few more rolls of bread and some cheese.

"I've been needing a day off," She said, "Running around in the woods sounds like just the thing."

"You're coming too?" Tavros said, eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Do you even know what a rowan tree looks like?" Aradia asked, pausing in loading apples into the bag to give him a serious look.

Tavros blushed and shrugged a little.

"Yeah, I'm coming," Aradia said with a decisive nod, tying off the bag of snacks.

"Awesome!" Tavros enthused and threw his arms around her in a quick hug, "This is going, to be the best!"

Aradia laughed and squeezed him back.

"Okay, but I have to get breakfast going first!" She said, "I'll meet you by the front doors when you've eaten."

"Okay! See you soon!" Tavros said, hurrying away. He still had to gather some books and supplies from the library before breakfast. Aradia waved back, clearly as excited as he was.

Tavros could barely sit still through breakfast, unable to help casting excited glances up at the head table, where Eridan was trying very hard to ignore him, but occasionally grinned back when he thought his father wasn't looking. Kurloz leaned in-between them as they were smiling at each other once, eyeing Tavros with a look that was uncharacteristically puzzled and concerned. Tavros blushed, then laughed, looking down at his food.

"Sorry," He said to the older boy, still giggling, "Uh, we just have plans, later today."

Kurloz's expression went from 'ah I see' to 'none of my business' in the space of a second and he returned to his food, which only made Tavros laugh harder. At least he didn't have to worry about Kurloz spreading rumors due to a misunderstanding.

After breakfast, Tavros slung his satchel of supplies over his shoulder and met Eridan outside the dining room.

"You got everything?" Eridan asked, eyeing the bag.

"Yeah!" Tavros agreed, bouncing on his heels, "We're, all set!"

"Then let's go already!" Eridan said, unable to hide his eagerness despite how hard he was trying to maintain his aloof facade, "I don't want to be late to lessons this afternoon."

They headed for the front doors, and Tavros waved as he saw Aradia, who waved back brightly.

"What is she doing here?" Eridan asked, all but sneering, "You didn't invite her, did you?"

"She knows, what a rowan tree looks like," Tavros said defensively, hurrying to Aradia's side and bumping against her shoulder, "Besides, Aradia, is really great! You'll like her, a lot, if you give her a chance."

"Yeah Eridan," Aradia said with a sharp toothed grin, "Give me a chance."

"That's Master Ampora to you," Eridan said with a sniff, straightening the collar of his cloak, "I am still your employer."

Tavros had never seen someone curtsy sarcastically before, but Aradia managed it. Eridan made a face like he'd just stepped in something nasty, but sighed.

"Fine, she can come," He agreed with a huff, "She can carry the bags or something."

Aradia snorted loudly. Tavros quietly shook his head, very certain that was not going to happen.

"Can we just please get going?" Eridan grumbled, "Before we get caught?"

"Now that I can agree too," Aradia said with a laugh, leading the way as they slipped out of the house, "Damara is already going to kick me around the kitchen for skipping out."

The grounds around Admiral Dualscar's manor were carefully maintained by both the house servants and a small retinue of gardeners. The wider property fell under the jurisdiction of the rarely seen but reportedly ferocious groundskeeper. Even Aradia had never encountered them, but the woods and wild game remained healthy, the outer buildings stayed in good repair, and no poachers or squatters ever made an issue of themselves, so it could only be assumed the groundskeeper was doing an excellent, if very discreet job.

Sure enough, as the small group reached the tree line they found nothing too overgrown or difficult to walk through. They strolled into the wood as easily as though it were a public park. It was late summer, the first chill of fall beginning to make itself known. Though the trees were still flush with greenery, the air was comfortably cool. Tavros and Aradia had both left their cloaks behind, but Eridan had insisted on keeping his. He claimed it was because he chilled easily, but Tavros suspected it had more to do with imitating his father, who was known for the intimidating figure he cut in his dramatic trademark cape. Eridan had turned the collar of his cloak up high to imitate that cape, but the effect really only served to make him look smaller and somewhat silly. That it kept getting hung up on branches, forcing them to stop while he tugged it loose, did not help. He seemed out of place in the wild, uncomfortable and quickly irritable. Aradia on the other hand looked like she could live here forever. Her sleeves were pushed up high, her arms muscular and the skin a glowing copper in the sun. She'd tied her skirt up between her knees to reveal sturdy stockings and heavy boots on her thick calves. She was built as solidly as any oak in the forest. Tavros had spent his whole childhood running around the farm he'd grown up on, running through the woods and getting in trouble, and he still felt wimpy and ill-equipped next to Aradia, with her wild hair and her bright eyes and her callused hands.

Regardless, Tavros was having a good time. The sun was warm, the breeze cool, and the forest pleasant and inviting. Aradia pointed out and named the more interesting plants they passed. She seemed to have an encyclopedic knowledge especially of the more poisonous varieties of flora. Tavros in turn knew the names and calls of most of the birds they encountered. As Aradia and Tavros bantered about nature trivia, Eridan grew quieter and fell further behind. Tavros almost didn't notice until he turned to comment on something to the other apprentice and saw Eridan had stopped, hung on a stubborn branch again. As they'd moved deeper into the woods the underbrush had grown thicker and these stops had become more frequent. Tavros felt a squirm of guilt. This was meant to have been his and Eridan's adventure. He knew the other boy had been just as excited about it as he was. But he'd brought in Aradia without asking, and then ignored Eridan in favor of her. Ashamed of himself, Tavros hurried back, and knelt to untangle Eridan's cloak. The wool edge had frayed from many snaggings and now the individual threads had snared and wrapped around a thorn bush quite intractably.

"I can get it myself," Eridan started to protest, more than a little cranky, but Tavros waved him down.

"Let me, help," Tavros insisted, "What are friends, for?"

That shut Eridan up, and Tavros frowned, focusing on the tangled threads. He looked up as a cardinal flashed past in a flicker of red. Inspired, he smiled.

"Uh, I noticed, last time we were in town," Tavros said, picking at the edge of the cloak steadily, "That, a lot of the shops, are carrying feathered hats. Is that, uh, in fashion or something?"

"Oh of course," Eridan said dismissively, "Feathers always make a comeback in autumn."

"What kind?" Tavros pushed a little, hopeful, "Is there, a specific kind of feather?"

"It changes every season," Eridan replied, beginning to be interested despite himself, "Pheasant and partridge are common, but there's always something different. I'm told the feathers of parrots from the far edge of the empire are going to be the big thing this year."

Tavros smiled as Eridan began to ramble in depth about fowl fashion, which was of no interest to him as a military man of course, but merely something he was expected to know as a gentleman and a socialite. Tavros nodded along, not needing to say much to keep him going, quietly accepting a pocketknife from Aradia to cut the loose threads free. Eridan didn't notice or he likely would have objected. Instead he merely sighed in relief as he was freed.

"Finally," He said, "Thanks Tav. I don't know why you didn't warn me this thing was going to be so much trouble, I would never have brought it."

He took off the cloak, to the silent cheers of Tavros and Aradia, and it was tucked into one of the bags for the rest of the adventure.

"Do they ever use little birds like that?" Tavros asked as they began to walk again, pointing out a blue jay.

"Songbirds are too small," Eridan said shaking his head, "You'd have to kill a score to have enough for one hat. Easier to just dye the big ones. Though I have seen some people use whole birds. A bit garish in my opinion-"

"Did you guys hear that?" Aradia interrupted her expression serious as she looked back over her shoulder at the brush behind them.

"Hear what?" Eridan asked, oblivious.

"I thought I heard something behind us," Aradia said.

"Maybe a deer?" Tavros asked, hopeful. He'd love to see a deer.

"Sounded bigger," Aradia said ominously, still watching, "And deer don't hide."

"It was probably a branch falling or something," Eridan said with a shrug, turning away, "Let's just keep going."

Aradia didn't look convinced, but she shrugged it off and they kept going. The conversation resumed, though Aradia was still quiet, glancing back often.

"Isn't there, uh, a way they could make feathers, without needing to kill so many birds?" Tavros was asking, "Out of, uh, silk or something."

"Well, the good milliners don't kill their birds," Eridan said, "Pheasants drop their feathers naturally when they mate. It would be ludicrously bad business to kill them every time you wanted to make a hat when the same bird could otherwise go on supplying you for years. And furthermore-"

"Did you hear it that time?" Aradia said sharply, looking behind them, "There is definitely something following us."

"I didn't hear anything," Eridan said, rolling his eyes, "All the dish soap must have damaged your brain."

Aradia gave Eridan a disgusted look, and then returned her intent, wary gaze on the trees behind them.

"I'm sure it was just, uh, a squirrel or something," Tavros said, trying to be reassuring, "There's nothing, that dangerous in these woods. The groundskeeper, would have said something, if there were, uh, bears, or wolves or anything, out here."

"Would they?" Aradia asked seriously, "The apprentices aren't supposed to be wandering around out here on our own. The groundskeeper might not have thought it was important to warn us."

Tavros and Eridan both fell quiet, suddenly very concerned with the possibility that they might be being followed by a bear. They stood there for a moment in tense silence, listening.

When nothing happened after a minute or two, Eridan huffed, dismissing their fears as silly. Tavros followed him, glancing back anxiously at Aradia until, at last, she started to turn away as well. A branch snapped behind her almost immediately, and this time they all heard it. Aradia caught Tavros's eye, who looked to Eridan. Another branch snapped, the crack loud as a gunshot, and all three of them took off at once, sprinting deeper into the woods.

The first time they dared look back over their shoulders, they could see something dark and angular crashing through the trees after them at a terrible speed. All three of them were screaming by this point, Aradia's a lower animal kind of wail, Tavros's a broken yell like he was being startled repeatedly, and Eridan's a continuous whistle-like shriek.

They plunged headlong into the depths of the forest, howling as they tripped over roots and crashed into thorn bushes. In their wild stampede they barely paid enough attention to where they were going to keep them all from sprinting off in opposite directions. Precisely none of them were thinking about where they were heading, which was deeper into the heart of the forest, the underbrush growing more dense and tangled around them by the moment. In their blind panic, they charged forward until, quite suddenly, the ground vanished beneath them and they fell, screaming, into darkness.

Tavros woke, his head aching and his mouth full of dirt, at the bottom of a hole. He sat up, dazed and spitting, and heard Eridan groan near him. Aradia was already sitting up, rubbing her head and picking leaves out of her hair.

"What, happened?" He groaned, confused.

There were, he realized belatedly, stone walls around them. They appeared to be in some kind of sunken room, the walls heavily overgrown with moss and vines. The room had obviously once been covered by a wooden ceiling, perhaps the floor of a room above. But it had rotted away in most places. Tavros and the others had fallen through one of the remaining sections, which was now a mess of soft debris around them. A small tree was growing in the center of the room, about fifteen feet tall, spreading pale branches through the rotten floor.

Before anyone could reply, a fourth figure sat up near them and the trio shrieked in surprise. It was Tavros who recovered first, recognizing the mess of dark curly hair.

"Kurloz?" He said, baffled, "What are you, doing here?"

The older boy shrugged, obviously unable to give a detailed answer. He eyed Eridan mistrustfully however, and made a suggestive gesture with his hands, scooting closer to Tavros protectively. Tavros blushed. He really had got the wrong idea.

"Was it you, chasing us?" Tavros asked, eager to move past that misunderstanding.

Kurloz shrugged again, but his permanent, stitched in grin, curled up in mischief. Eridan huffed in disgust.

"Great," He muttered, "Your weird fried chased us down a hole and now we're trapped."

"We're not trapped you baby," Aradia said scathingly, "We'll just climb out. Now shut up for a minute, I'm trying to figure out where we are."

She was standing near one of the walls, running her hands over a faded mosaic.

"I think these are the old castle ruins," She said, excitement in her voice as she kicked overgrown roots and vines out of the way of a half collapsed door in order to peer into the next room, "I'd heard they were out here in the woods somewhere! I've always wanted to see them."

"This is a castle?" Tavros asked curiously, standing up and dusting himself off.

"It was, centuries ago," Aradia replied, "There was a whole civilization here, before the Empress conquered it."

"The Empress unified the empire," Eridan corrected Aradia stiffly, "Before her, the land was divided into a thousand kingdoms, most of them infested with and even run by the lowest sort of scum. The empress brought the lower races under control, and even allowed some of them to become part of the empire, though they would never be allowed to hold titles or own land, of course. You and the kitchen wench are probably related to them, Tav."

He said this offhandedly, as though it were just an interesting aside Tavros might like to know. Aradia looked close to punching Eridan, but instead she beckoned Tavros over to check out the next room with him.

"He's right though," She said proudly as he stepped, awed, through the doorway into the courtyard beyond, "Our ancestors built this. And however much the Empress has tried to bury it and all record of who we were before her, it's still standing."

Even literally half buried, the courtyard was beautiful, with high arches and a grand fountain, now dry and dusty. Some statue had once presided over it proudly, but had been reduced to rubble, either by time or the Empress's order. Tavros ran his hands over the weathered marble and wondered what face it used to carry. He'd never thought about his ancestors, about why his skin was darker than the other apprentices, about why he'd never seen a highborn or noble in his shade. It was just the way things were. Suddenly, as though it had always been there, unacknowledged and waiting, he felt a terrible yearning to know who had lived here, to know their stories, to know he had come from somewhere. His heart ached in his chest with longing and with bitterness that it would never happen. The empress had erased these people so thoroughly he'd barely known they existed, except for a vague reference to splintered kingdoms, acknowledged only through their unification by the Empress. She was the beginning of history as he knew it, and what had come before her was a fog bound void that could never be filled.

Aradia put a hand on his shoulder and he knew she was feeling the same painful emptiness he was at that moment. They stood in silence together for a few solemn moments, and Eridan and Kurloz were, for once, respectful enough to let them be.

They stepped back through the archway into the room they'd fallen into to find Eridan testing the strength of the vines hanging over one of the walls. He planted a foot on the wall to put his weight on the plant, then stumbled back quickly as its roots tore loose and it slid down on top of him. He disentangled himself from it impatiently as Aradia laughed. Tavros couldn't help a chuckle as well, still scrubbing at his eyes in hopes of avoiding the tears that had threatened to overwhelm him in the courtyard. Kurloz's large, spiderlike hand landed on his head, ruffling his hair playfully, and Tavros smiled at him, unsure as always of the older boy's motivations, but assuming it was intended to cheer him up.

"Hey Eridan," Aradia said with a grin, "I have some good news for you."

"What, maid?" Eridan replied, cross and scowling as he shook off the vines.

"That's a rowan tree," She said, gesturing to the small tree growing in the center of the room, "We practically landed on it."

"That dinky thing?" Eridan said, sounding disappointed, "I was hoping it would be taller, more impressive."

The tree was not very large, with pale gray bark and tangled, web like branches hung with bundles of scarlet berries.

"It doesn't need to be big to be impressive," Aradia said, "The rowan tree wards off evil, and its berries are poisonous when eaten raw, but have healing properties if cooked. And I don't need to tell you two about its magical properties."

Eridan gave up on climbing, joining Tavros and Aradia by the tree, interested now.

"Wards off evil, huh?" He repeated, running his hands over the bark, "So, what do we do Tav? Just cut off a branch?"

Tavros shook his head.

"No, absolutely not," Tavros replied, "Living wood, won't work. Its energies, are still connected to the tree. You need, dead wood, the tree has discarded. Its, uh, vacant basically, in a magical sense, and so you can tie your own will to it."

Tavros knelt by the trees roots where they had worked their way through the cracked cobble stone of the floor and began shifting leaves looking for fallen branches.

"Look for one, that's fairly straight, and dry," He said, "It needs to be, uh, at least the length of your forearm."

Aradia joined them as Tavros and Eridan dug in the leaves for an appropriate stick. Kurloz meanwhile, was still patting at the wall Eridan had pulled the vines off of.

"Ah, here's a good one!" Eridan said triumphantly, holding up good, solid branch.

Tavros took it, turning it over in his hands and thinking.

"I'll, need to carve it down a little, but it should be, perfect," He said with a smile.

"Good," Eridan said with a nod, "Now stick it in the bag and let's get out of here."

"How are we, getting out of here?" Tavros asked, looking to Aradia, "I don't think, climbing the vines, is going to work."

She nodded, looking around the walls.

"Well, maybe if Kurloz gave one of us a boost-" She was interrupted by the sound of scattering rubble and they all turned quickly to see Kurloz scaling the wall Eridan had torn the vines off of, thin fingers worming into the cracks in the stone to pull himself up and scramble over the top. As the other three watched, he quickly disappeared over the edge just before another section of rotted floor collapsed under his weight. There was a moment of silence, before he stuck his head back over the edge of the pit, waved at them all cheerfully, and then vanished again.

"Did he just abandon us in this pit," Eridan asked flabbergasted.

"Maybe," Tavros said, brows furrowed in concern, "Maybe he'll come back?"

Aradia swore, loudly and colorfully.

They spent the next fifteen minutes or so trying to find another way out. Even on each other's shoulders they weren't tall enough to reach the top. Nor were any of them skilled enough climbers to use the cracks in the stone as Kurloz had. They investigated the courtyard again, hoping one of the doorways might lead to a room with a collapsed wall they could climb, but most of the passages were blocked by rubble. Those that weren't led nowhere useful.

Frustrated, Eridan threw himself down beneath the rowan tree in a fit of pique. Tavros joined him, still hoping Kurloz might return. Aradia washed her hands of them both and continued exploring on her own.

Tavros, sensing they'd be here a while no matter what happened, pulled his bag closer and took out the tools he'd brought for making Eridan's wand. He hadn't expected to be working on in while trapped in the bottom of a sunken castle, but he had thought they might start working on it out here if they stopped for lunch. He broke the extraneous twigs off of the rowan branch and began carefully whittling it down, cutting it to the length of Eridan's forearm. Eridan watched, bored but also curious.

"You're not bad with that thing," Eridan said, watching Tavros's knife work, "Does farm work require a lot of wood carving?"

"No, I just, kind of like doing it," Tavros answered with a small, bashful shrug, "My dad, taught me. He learned to do it, carving sigils for the resistance, so that members could identify each other. I, just liked carving, animals and stuff. I had, a really great bird, back home. I wish, I could show you."

"You know, if the whole summoner thing falls through," Eridan said idly, "You could do this for a living. Making wands, I mean. Of course, no one's going to take a wandmaker of your background seriously, but you could probably make a good living, selling to poor amateurs. The field magicians on the front lines of the Imperial Armada don't exactly require quality work."

"Thanks, Eridan," Tavros said, trying not to look exasperated. He knew the other boy meant well, even if he was really frustratingly oblivious to other people's feelings sometimes.

Once he'd carved out the rough shape, he pulled some sandpaper from his bag to smooth it out.

"Do you, know anything else, about the people that used to live here?" Tavros asked thoughtfully as he sanded the rough edges off the wand.

"There's nothing else to know," Eridan replied with a shrug, "They were here, they were awful, the empress crushed em in the name of unification."

"How do you know they were awful?" Tavros asked with a frown, "Weren't most of them, probably just normal people, living their lives, like everybody?"

Eridan scoffed.

"I know because that's what everyone says," Eridan said archly, "They were dirty and uncivilized. They didn't even have an empress, and without a leader like the empress they couldn't have had any kind of rule of law. Anybody just trying to live their life was probably grateful when the empress showed up and squashed those savages."

Tavros flinched. He had no way of knowing what those ancient people had been like, or weather he really had any connection to them, but Eridan's words stung anyway. He looked around them at the castle and shook his head.

"Eridan," He said quietly, "Do you really think, they could have made all this, made it, strong enough to last this long, if they were lawless savages? Do you think, maybe the empress just said they were like that, so that nobody would object, when she got rid of them?"

Eridan looked horrified by the suggestion at first and Tavros saw him gearing up to deliver a scathing reply. Then he hesitated. Tavros saw his eyes sweep the building around them, glancing in the direction of the still beautiful courtyard. His mouth twisted and worked strangely as he tried to sort out his feelings.

"So maybe these guys weren't so bad," He finally conceded, "So maybe they just got caught up in the bull of the other guys. Who cares? It doesn't make them any less gone."

Tavros sighed but let it go. It was progress.

"So, I'm thinking copper for the conductive," He said, pulling a spool of copper wire out of his bag, "What do you want for the focus? Quartz works pretty well for general work."

"Got anything fancier?" Eridan asked, dragging the bag closer to dig through it himself, "Quartz is so plain."

"I think there's some amethyst in there," Tavros suggested with a shrug, "That might work well for you."

Eridan made an approving noise as he pulled the small shard of amethyst out, holding it up to the light admiringly.

"Oh, that reminds me," He said, digging in his pocket for a moment before pulling out a pendant, "I think this is made of gold electrum. Wouldn't that be better for the conductive?"

"Sure, if you want," Tavros said, taking the pendant from him, a single dark purple stone wrapped in gold wire, "It's, really pretty though. Are you sure, you want me to take it apart?"

Eridan shrugged.

"I have a dozen just like it," He said nonchalantly, "I was really into that wire work look for a while."

Assuming that meant it was fine, Tavros put aside the wand for a moment to grab a pair of pliers and break down the necklace.

"It was a gift actually," Eridan said as Tavros began unwrapping the wire. When Tavros hesitated Eridan waved a hand to tell him to keep going.

"People used to send stuff like that to my brother all the time," He said, "But after he turned out to be such a monumental failure, the gifts started coming my way instead. I loved it at first. All these people showering me with well-deserved attention, just dying to be friends with me in case I turned out to be as amazing as my father. But after a while..."

He shrugged a little, his expression something strange and disgruntled.

"It just got annoying," He finished after a moment, shrugging, "None of them actually wanted to know anything about me. You're lucky you've got nothing to offer, Tav. People will only ever want to friends with you because they like you."

Tavros frowned for a moment, trying to see past Eridan's habit of being unintentionally derogatory.

"Does that mean, you like me?" He suggested, eyeing the other apprentice, who turned scarlet at the suggestion.

"Don't be absurd," He fairly squawked, "You're just- It's only that- Sweet messiahs I sound like you. You're all right. And you listen to me. That's more than I can say for a lot of people. So, yes, I suppose I like you. A little. A tiny, otherwise irrelevant fraction."

Tavros grinned.

"You, like me," He repeated.

"I'm not going to like you long if you keep that up!" Eridan replied crossly, throwing a handful of leaves at Tavros, "Just finish the dang wand!"

Tavros laughed, but he went back to work, handing over the chain and the stone from the pendant as he finished removing the wire.

"Also, you're going to have to start carrying my stuff," Eridan said, "People have noticed you hanging around me so I told them I hired you to carry things for me."

"That's awful, Eridan," Tavros said, giving the other boy a disappointed look.

"Not as awful as the nosedive my social life would take if people found out I was friends with the commoner son of a failed revolutionary," Eridan replied coolly, "So keep it quiet would you?"

Tavros sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Fine," He said, "I'll do it, because I'm your friend, and friends look out for each other, and want each other to be happy and successful, no matter what anyone else thinks."

"Are you implying I'm a bad friend," Eridan asked, scandalized.

"No, I'm implying, you've never had one before, so you don't know how it works," Tavros replied, "Lucky, for you, I am a good friend, who is willing, to be patient and teach you, how to be considerate of other people's feelings."

"I see how it is," Eridan said, turning away stiffly and feigning hurt, "I say I like you one time and all the respect goes out the window. Next thing I know you'll be expecting ME to carry YOUR things won't you?"

"Yes," Tavros replied, "Yes. That is a thing, that will definitely happen."

"Unbelievable."

They continued to talk as Tavros worked and the sun climbed higher in the sky. Around noon Aradia, dirty and ecstatic, wandered back in and collapsed between them, intentionally spreading as much dirt onto Eridan's clothes as possible. They stopped his shrieking by breaking for lunch, pulling out the rolls, cheese, and apples Aradia had packed.

"Any sign of Kurloz?" Aradia asked through a mouthful of cheese.

Tavros shook his head.

"Find any way to get us out?" Tavros replied, to the same response.

"No, but I found some really amazing mosaics and old statuary," Aradia said, "Most of its pretty roughed up, but some of it is still recognizable. There was this one of a man in robes and a crown. I don't know if he was a king or a god but-"

"So we're stuck here then," Eridan interjected, waving an apple at her to shut her up, "We're going to starve to death in this hole?"

"Don't be so dramatic," Aradia said, rolling her eyes, "They'll notice we're missing before the day is over and come looking for us. We're not even that deep into the woods. A couple of hours walk tops."

"And how long is it going to take them to even think of looking out here?" Eridan pointed out, "And even once they do, this forest is huge! It could take them days! We'll freeze before we even starve!"

"You're ridiculous," Aradia said, "We're fine. If you're really that freaked out about it, then come up with a plan to get us out."

"Tavros, how long till you finish that wand?" Eridan snapped, and Tavros shrugged.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Aradia asked.

"I'll summon something to fly us out," He said sitting up straighter, "Something small and discrete. We'll be home before they even notice we're missing."

"That is a phenomenally bad idea," Aradia said, "You're an apprentice. Have you ever summoned anything outside of your father's lessons? You'll get us all killed."

"I'm not, going to be done with the wand for a while, anyway," Tavros said, agreeing with Aradia that it was a bad idea, "What if we, uh, tried piling up some of the rubble from around here into a stack we could climb?"

"Now there's an idea I can get behind," Aradia agreed, "Good job Tavros."

"And get my clothes even more filthy than they already are?" Eridan said with a sneer, "No thank you. I'll be in enough trouble for this escapade without needing an all new wardrobe on top of it."

Aradia made a disgusted sound, finished her food in another two rapid gulps, then stood and held out a hand for Tavros.

"Come on Tav, let's get started," She said, "We'll have to work fast since the prissy prince here won't be helping us."

Tavros put his food back in the bag and stood up to help, shrugging bashfully when Eridan gave him a disparaging look.

Tavros and Aradia got to work, hefting fallen stones and chunks of ancient statuary over to the lowest section of wall. They worked for a few hours, Aradia talking excitedly about the possible implications of the figures in the statues they were handling, while Eridan took a nap under the rowan tree, head pillowed on his cloak. Tavros took a break after a while, exhausted by the heavy lifting, and sat down under the tree next to Eridan. Aradia kept going, tireless, and he watched her until he dozed off with an apple still in his hand.

After a while even Aradia wore out, and slumped down beside him, waking him briefly before she dozed off as well.

When they woke it was dark, and they realized together they'd slept through the afternoon. A cold night wind was blowing through the ruins, making them huddle together against the chill.

"Kurloz?" Tavros called out hopefully, but only the howling wind replied. Eridan pulled his cloak back on and without prompting wrapped it around Tavros and Aradia as well, the three of them sharing it like a blanket. Tavros was glad Eridan's vanity had demanded something so oversized and voluminous.

"Can we start a fire?" Eridan asked, already shivering, "I can't see anything."

"I don't know how," Aradia confessed, "I've only ever done it in the kitchen fireplace with a flint."

Tavros didn't know how to do it either, so they just huddled closer together.

"I really thought they would have found us by now," Aradia said, sounding unsure.

"I'm sure Kurloz told someone," Tavros said, "He wouldn't just leave us out here."

"Yes he would," Eridan replied grimly, "I wouldn't put it past that creepy clown for a minute."

"He's not that bad," Tavros tried to argue, but he was too tired and cold to fight. That Kurloz wasn't here was all the evidence in Eridan's favor they needed right now.

They fell quiet, all of them too cold and too worried to talk. They held each other's hands unselfconsciously beneath the cloak, all of them needing the scant comfort that provided.

"I'm sorry," Eridan said after a long while, shivering.

"Sorry, for what?" Tavros asked, cold making his thoughts sluggish.

"You were right earlier," Eridan replied, quiet and miserable, "I'm not a very good friend. I'm always saying stupid things without thinking about it. It's not like I don't notice how awful I am. I see how people react. I just don't know..."

He trailed off with a frustrated shrug. Tavros squeezed his hand reassuringly.

"You do, say a lot of dumb stuff," Tavros admitted, "But, I still think, you're a good person. And, you were one of the first people here, to be nice to me. You can learn, to say less dumb stuff."

"You have terrible taste in friends," Eridan muttered, not meeting Tavros's eye as he pressed closer, "Between me, the kitchen wench and the clown, it's no wonder you're at the bottom of a hole."

"Tell prince pissypants that if he calls me kitchen wench one more time," Aradia said with surprising poise, though she didn't move her head from Tavros's shoulder, "I'm going to serve him to the rest of the apprentices for dinner."

"Sorry," Eridan muttered before Tavros could say anything, "To be honest I can't remember your name."

"It's Aradia," Aradia replied, "Forget it again and suffer the consequences."

"A touching sentiment," Came a strange voice from above them, "Are you all done bonding now or should I come back later?"

A magical light flared to life, illuminating the face of a woman leaning over the edge of the pit. She had the palest skin Tavros had ever seen, framed by a sheet of pitch black hair. Her eyes were witchlight green, glittering in the light of the orb she'd summoned.

"See, I told you they'd come for us!" Aradia said in relief, standing up.

Tavros followed, his joints stiff from the cold, and offered Eridan a hand up. The strange woman was already lowering a rope over the edge of one of the more solid walls. She pulled Eridan up first, then Aradia. As Tavros waited for her to lower to rope again he looked back towards the courtyard, wondering if he'd ever be able to come back here.

When she pulled Tavros over the top, the first thing he saw was Kurloz standing nearby, his permanent smile placid.

"I knew you wouldn't abandon us," Tavros said with a grin and, without thinking, hugged the other boy tightly. Kurloz didn't seem to know how to react to this, after a moment just patting the top of Tavros's head awkwardly.

"Your friend showed up at my door hours ago," The strange woman said. She was incredibly tall, her arms corded with muscle and ringed with elaborate tattoos. She'd set the orb of light drifting beside her as she coiled her rope back up.

"But I don't get out of bed before sunset for anyone but the empress," She continued, "And I figured there were worse punishments for stupidity than making you idiots sit in a hole for a few hours."

Tavros flushed with embarrassment, the strange woman's scorn a tangible searing sensation.

"Who are you again?" Eridan asked, lip curling, "I think my father would be interested to know who would rather sleep than rescue his son from life threatening danger. I could have been injured for all you knew! There could have been animals!"

The look the woman gave Eridan was so chilly Tavros half expected Eridan to develop frost bite right there. Eridan all but cowered. Aradia looked up at her with a sigh of admiration.

"I'm Groundskeeper Maryam," She replied, "I've been taking care of this estate since before you were born. If your sainted father has a problem with me he can kiss my tattooed behind. Now come on. Let's get you idiots home so I can get back to work."

Tavros, Eridan, and Kurloz formed a loose, awestruck gaggle behind the groundskeeper, while Aradia walked beside her, hurrying to keep up with the other woman's long stride.

"I've heard about you!" She said excitedly, "Is it true you only ever work at night? Nobody else in the kitchen has ever even seen you!"

"I don't care for the sun," The groundskeeper replied, "I burn easily. You work in the kitchens? And you're running around with Admiral Dualscar's son and the spawn of the Grand Holy Bastille?"

Aradia made a face.

"No, Tavros is responsible for those two," She said, "I only intended to run around with the son of a failed revolutionary today."

The woman missed a step and looked back at Tavros sharply. Tavros had a feeling she'd been assuming Tavros worked in the kitchen with Aradia.

"What an odd group," She said, a high arched eyebrow raised imperiously, "I approve."

There was something deliriously pleasing about being approved of by a person like that. Tavros couldn't help but grin.

"Do you know anything about those ruins?" Aradia asked her, "They were amazing."

"A thing or two," The groundskeeper replied guardedly, "But somehow I don't think I should be encouraging your interest. I don't want to be pulling this lot out of holes on a regular basis."

"Don't worry," Aradia said reassuringly, "Next time I'll be prepared."

The groundskeeper gave a sharp laugh at that and patted Aradia's shoulder approvingly.

The two talked the rest of the way back through the forest, discussing the ruins and general preparedness when running about in the wilderness. Tavros just listened, still too intimidated by Maryam's presence to interrupt.

As they reached the edge of the trees, the groundskeeper pulled up short.

"You'd better split now," She said to Aradia, "Run around the side of the house to the kitchens. The Admiral already knows about these three, but I doubt he's heard about you yet, and I'd hate to see what he'd do if he does."

Aradia nodded and started to hurry away, nodding goodbye to the rest of them.

"Try to set a better example for these miscreants in the future!" Maryam called after her, and Aradia grinned. Meanwhile, the amount of trouble they were in was slowly settling on the other boys, who'd grown pale and quiet. Even Kurloz looked worried.

She started walking again, heading towards the front doors. By the time they reached them, the Admiral was already standing on the steps, a column of barely contained rage wrapped in a violet cloak. His eyes flashed like the glint of a headman's axe coming down as he looked at the three boys.

"You two," He hissed to Tavros and Kurloz, not acknowledging the groundskeeper at all, "To your rooms. I'll deal with you later."

Kurloz nodded and started to slink off, catching Tavros's arm to pull him along when Tavros hesitated. Dualscar was glaring down at Eridan with a look that was lethal.

"Um, sir," Tavros forced himself to speak past the squirming knot of worry in his chest, "This was, my fault, I was the one who suggested-"

"Silence," Dualscar said sharply, never taking his eyes off of Eridan.

Eridan stood stiffly, his eyes on the ground, his expression a strange mix of defiance and fear. He glanced at Tavros as Kurloz yanked harder to pull Tavros away. Tavros tried to smile at him encouragingly, but he wasn't sure it helped much. He let Kurloz drag him away into the house.

They split the remaining food they'd brought with them, as they obviously wouldn't be going to dinner tonight. Tavros gave Kurloz all the apples, which were his favorite and easily sliced to fit between his stitches. Then, giving each other a last worried look, they parted, Kurloz to the dorms and Tavros to the attic.

Dualscar never came to 'deal with them' in the night as Tavros had half expected him too, and he went to breakfast the next morning without incident. Aradia had received a lecture from her sister and the leader of the kitchen staff and would be pulling double chores for a while, but was otherwise fine. Meanwhile, Eridan was not at breakfast at all.

Eridan didn't show up until halfway through chores, looking tired and wary. He didn't so much as look at Tavros, but merely got to work with far more focus and dedication than Tavros had ever seen him show. There was no lesson from Dualscar that afternoon. Tavros tried to catch Eridan in the hall, worried, but Eridan, still not looking at him, only shook his head.

"Later," He said quietly, "In the library."

All through dinner, Eridan was silent, meeting no one's eye as he ate at the high table beside his father. Kurloz gave Tavros and inquiring look, obviously expecting Tavros to know what had happened to the other boy, but Tavros could only shrug.

After dinner, Tavros hurried to the library, making his way to the sheltered corner beneath the window where they'd met before. He'd waited nearly an hour before Eridan crept in.

"Are you, okay?" Tavros asked at once, standing and hurrying over to the other boy, "What did- what did he do?"

"I'm fine, Tav," Eridan assured Tavros stiffly, "Everything's fine. Stop panicking and sit down."

Tavros didn't believe him, but he sat down anyway, a worried frown on his face.

"He's not going to do anything to you and Kurloz," Eridan said, "At least not for now. He said as the highest ranking I was responsible for leading you two into trouble."

"But that's, stupid," Tavros said, frustrated, "I was- I was the one who-"

"Stop it, your stammer's getting worse," Eridan grumbled, "I told you everything's fine."

"But, then, what's he going to do, to you?" Tavros asked, fighting to control his voice.

"He wanted to send me away," Eridan said, "There's this military school he sent Cronus, my brother, too when he started acting up. I'm supposed to go in a few years anyway, but he thinks he can get me in earlier."

Tavros looked stricken and Eridan waved his concern away quickly.

"I'm not going anywhere you sap," He muttered, "I talked him out of it. I'm just not allowed to associate with you anymore. He says I should be focusing on my studies, on account of how miserably far behind I am, rather than on fraternizing with commoners."

Tavros felt a guilty twist in his gut. It seemed like Eridan was in more trouble for spending time with him than for sneaking out into the woods.

"So, then, are you saying, goodbye?" He asked quietly, steeling himself for the inevitable. He understood after all, it had always been doomed, two people like them trying to be friends.

"What? No, don't be stupid," Eridan said immediately, "We just can't hang out during the day anymore. We can still meet here as long as the Admiral doesn't find out."

Tavros smiled, relief loosening the tension that had been building in his chest.

"I, have something for you," He said, turning back to dig something out of the bag he'd left by his chair, "I hope, it's all right."

He held out the rowan wand to Eridan, laid out across the flat of his hands. Unable to sleep last night, he'd finished it, and spent extra time to carve the handle with a pattern of winding vines. The electrum wire spiraled up between the vines to hold the amethyst in place at the tip. Eridan's eyes widened at the sight of it, and he took it with a kind of reverence Tavros had never seen him show anything else.

"Thanks, Tav," He said, and coughed to cover the choked up break in his voice, "It's perfect."

He threw his arms around Tavros suddenly, catching the other boy off guard. After a surprised second of hesitation, Tavros hugged Eridan back, and quietly vowed never to say anything about how the other apprentice was sniffling into his shoulder.


	4. Chapter 4

Though the ill-fated trip into the woods had ended disastrously, for the most part Tavros's life was only looking up. He wasn't allowed to speak to Eridan in class anymore, but they still met up after dinner almost every night to talk and study. Kurloz soon began attending these nightly meeting as well, uninvited but not unwelcome. Even Eridan was slightly less wary of the older boy since the incident in the woods. Aradia soon joined them as well, once her punishment had ended and her every waking moment was no longer occupied with double her usual allotment of chores.

Upon seeing Eridan's finished wand, Kurloz had presented Tavros with length of birch in a silent but insistent demand for one of his own, and Tavros had provided, topping it with a jagged shard of onyx. Kurloz had been delighted. On a whim, Tavros had found a willow branch and made one for Aradia as well. Eridan even managed to find him a piece of red topaz to bind to the end. Aradia had been thrilled, though she wasn't certain she had any magical ability to speak of, or that she would be interested in summoning if she did.

Tavros, sitting among them as they talked, Aradia and Eridan still needling each other playfully, Kurloz making his opinions known mostly through rude hand gestures, he wondered how he'd managed to get so lucky. He was apprenticed to one of the best summoner's in the kingdom, he was surrounded by friends, and even his lessons had been going well. Dualscar had been calling on him in class nearly every day, nitpicking his every choice in the practice demonstrations. It was clearly supposed to be punishment for dragging Eridan out into the woods, but Tavros kept meeting the Admiral's challenges. Though Dualscar kept raising the difficulty, Tavros didn't falter. Bolstered by his friends and his recent success, he was more confident than ever. He felt he could do most anything.

"Most of you lead wits have never summoned above a class five," Dualscar said, striding across the summoning chamber one day in mid-autumn, "I can guarantee most of you never will. It might shock you then, to learn that there is another echelon of summons entirely above the twelve recognized classes. This upper tier, the aristocracy of the demonic plane, are the named demons."

There was a murmuring of confusion and concern from the assembled apprentices. The study of named demons was something reserved for accomplished master summoners, not students. Dualscar had been escalating their lessons in his attempts to stump Tavros, leaving most of the other apprentices baffled by the complex sigil work required for summoning demons in the upper six classes, but this was a vast leap beyond what he'd been focusing on so far.

"Now, as you would know if any of you bothered to study," Dualscar continued, "The demonic plane is not a plane of matter or substance, but one of fluid energy. When we summon something, we siphon the energy of that plane into our own and shape it to suit our needs. It is not an individual, but simply a separated fraction of the vast, mindless gestalt consciousness that is the demonic plane."

Most of the other apprentices were staring at Dualscar blankly, clearly lost. Tavros had read a little about the structure of the demonic plane, how that entire universe was, in a strange way, a single huge soul. But most of what he'd read had been far beyond his skill level and gone over his head. He knew Eridan had tried to read the same book and been similarly baffled by the high level concepts. Vriska was nodding like she knew all of this but Tavros would have bet dollars to doughnuts she was bluffing.

"Within the free flowing energy of the demonic plane," Dualscar resumed, "There are certain places where the energy condenses and accumulates, and occasionally enough gathers that an individual consciousness may form, separate from the gestalt. This is the birth of a demon. It is theorized that, in their natural state, these demons do not last long, existing only briefly before dissolving back into the flow of energy. Ancient summoners, using a technique now lost to time, would locate these demonic nurseries and wait to witness the birth of a demon. Once it was resolved into solidity, the ancient summoners would bind it with a human name. Once named as an individual, the demon could no longer discorporate, but was kept in solid state. Then summoners of sufficient skill who knew the demon's name could call it from the other side whenever they chose."

As he spoke, Dualscar was flipping through an ancient book, bound in peeling leather that looked unpleasantly not-animal. He sneered as he reached a certain page, marked it with a ribbon, and gestured with the book as he continued.

"Many of those wise and ancient summoners lost their lives in precisely that manner," He said, "The named demons are not the mindless constructs that lower six summons are, or even the animal intelligence of the upper six. They are clever, they are unimaginably powerful, and they are angry. Their only wish is to dissolve, and since they learned long ago that there is no way to unbind them from their names, they seek revenge instead. Summon a named demon, and it will do everything it can to break the circle, escape your orders, and devour you. And you won't be the only one that suffers, either. Empowered by your human soul, it will run rogue and kill every living thing it encounters until it's put down. A named demon was responsible for the destruction of the city of Yo'cheved back before the unification of the empire. So complete was the eradication of life in Yo'cheved, that the site remains a barren scar on the land even now, and the demon's name was stricken from all records so that it might never be summoned again. Now."

He tossed the leather bound book at Tavros, who fumbled and nearly dropped it before looking up at Dualscar in confusion.

"Summon one," The Admiral said.

"W-what," Tavros stammered, certain he must have heard wrong.

"I've marked a page for you," Dualscar said with a sneer, "Summon it."

"I, I can't," Tavros said, shaking his head, "I can't, sir,"

Dualscar grabbed Tavros by the back of his shirt and dragged him into the center of the room.

"Yes you can," He snarled, "You're good enough feel entitled to an apprenticeship with me, good enough to refuse your rightful place scrabbling in the mud and demand one here among your betters, good enough to distract my son from his studies and take him off gallivanting in the woods like idiot children. Clearly you must be the most talented magician of your age! Clearly, you're good enough to do this. Now do it."

Tavros was shaking, clutching the book to his chest and staring up at the Admiral with wide eyes. The other apprentices were silent. Even Vriska looked stunned and worried. Tavros realized that Dualscar was about to make an example of him.

"Sir, I think you made your point," Eridan interjected, his voice shaking as he stepped forward, Kurloz a step behind him, "He obviously can't do something of that level."

"Shut up," The Admiral said sharply, "He wants to be like his father, proving everyone wrong. Well here's his chance."

"Dad," Eridan tried again, and for a rare moment he looked like the eight year old boy he was, "Don't make him do this, it wasn't his fault-"

"Silence," Dualscar snapped, "I went easy on you before, don't think I'll make that mistake if you disrespect me again."

Eridan fell silent, afraid, and looked at Tavros helplessly. Tavros, lost for what else to do, opened the book. There was an illustrated diagram of the construct, and above it a name Tavros couldn't bring himself to pronounce. A word made of harsh edges and guttural noises that described something nightmarish. Tavros began collecting the tribute items from the cabinet by the wall, his hands shaking as he gathered some of the most precious ingredients Dualscar possessed. Black sludge from the deepest depths of the sea, the fragile yellow finger bones of a man drowned on the night of the full moon, a yellow eye, carved living from some eerie abyssal creature and preserved. There was more, but Tavros tried not look at any of it more than he needed to grab it and it to the growing pile in the center of the room. Tavros knew the contents of the summoning circle were literally worth more than his life. Dualscar could buy or sell ten of him and not touch the price of those ingredients. As he finished assembling them he looked up at Dualscar again, expecting the man to stop him, to tell him to put everything back. But Dualscar was silent, his eyes a tempest behind a glass wall. Tavros kept going.

The diagram in the book was clear, though irrationally complex. Tavros's hands were shaking too hard to draw straight lines. He kept assuring himself that, eventually, Dualscar would stop this. There was no way he'd let Tavros go through with it.

But Tavros wrote out the demon's terrible name in careful lines of chalk within the silver circle and still Dualscar said nothing. He stepped back, dusted the chalk off of his pants, drew his wand, but Dualscar was still silent. Tavros began the summoning.

At the first word he spoke, black bile oozed up from the floor, slithering in-between the cracks in the stone. Tavros saw Dualscar's eyes widen, as though he hadn't expected anything to respond to Tavros's call at all. Tavros thought, surely now he'll stop me, but still the Admiral said nothing. Tavros continued to sing the chant, wand in his hand as he began to build the complex twisted cage into which he would pour the demon's energy. The hideous ichor had the shine of sweat on the pallid skin of the ill and dying. Tavros was used to the energy of his summons leaping and splashing, bright and bubbling. But this had none of that vigor. It oozed, tarlike. It slunk like some ancient reptile, testing the edges of the circle, pressing against Tavros's boundaries. He could feel it, though it was nowhere near his skin, thank the messiahs. He could feel it against his magic, and it was cold as the deepest ocean. An invasive cold that wriggled into your veins and infected your heart with ice. Tavros could feel himself losing focus. He shook his head and narrowed his concentration onto the chant. Something unspeakable was filling up the construct he'd created, pushing at the frame, warping and twisting it into a shape that defied the dimensions Tavros could understand. He could see past its black and liquid hide into a space beyond it, the place it was pulling itself out of, called by his voice, eager and hungry. It had eyes more numerous than stars and they were all focused squarely on Tavros.

Tavros shrieked and banished the summon at once. He didn't even have to think about it, cutting off the flow of energy and crushing the construct frame all at once. He could feel the summon struggling, trying to claw its way out anyway, but he pressed it down, sobbing, fat terrified tears rolling down his cheeks as he beat it back with raw will until circle was dead and the door was closed.

He threw the hideous book away into a corner.

"I won't!" He shouted, looking into Dualscar's eyes with the defiance of absolute terror making him strong, "I won't do it! Not ever!"

For a moment Tavros didn't think the Admiral would answer. There was genuine surprise in the way he was looking at Tavros, a calculating kind of evaluation. Then he shook his head, dismissing whatever thought had, for a moment, made him consider Tavros as a threat.

"Then you will never be the summoner your father was," Dualscar replied, "I doubt you will ever be a summoner at all."

He looked away with a finality that said Tavros had no place even in his thoughts any longer.

"Class dismissed," Dualscar declared, sweeping across the room past the other apprentices, still silent with shock.

"And clean up that mess," He called finally before the door slammed behind him.

All the strength went out of Tavros at once. He sank to the floor, trembling, shaking with terrified sobs.

The other students began to filter out of the classroom, whispering fearfully among each other. Only Kurloz and Eridan stayed behind, Eridan casting worried glances at the door his father had left by. He went to Tavros's side as Kurloz began picking up the scattered components.

"I'm so sorry Tavros," Eridan said, his voice heavy with misery, "This is my fault. He's punishing you because of me."

He knelt awkwardly next to Tavros, unsure what to do. Tavros was crying too hard to form words.

"I should have done something," Eridan continued, "I was too scared. If I had just stood up to him- I should be braver than this, I always fold when it's him. I'm so-"

He stopped, realizing for once that this was not the time for a personal pity party. He reached for Tavros's hand instead.

"I'm sorry," He said again.

Tavros squeezed his hand in silence.

Kurloz and Eridan got him to the library, realizing he was in no condition to go to dinner. He still hadn't stopped shaking. He could see those nightmare eyes watching him from every shadow. He curled up in one of the big armchairs, and Kurloz stayed with him while Eridan went to dinner alone, if only to avoid raising his father's suspicions. He returned in an hour with Aradia, who was pale with worry by the time Eridan finished filling her in. She hugged Tavros as soon as she reached him, and though Tavros flinched at first, he was soon returning the embrace, clinging to her tightly. She was as solid as a rock amid a warring ocean and Tavros desperately needed that stability. She rubbed his back as he shook, murmuring reassurances in a low, soothing voice.

"He was amazing though, Aradia," Eridan said after a moment, "You should have seen him. He never missed a word. And the way he shut it down at the end! I thought it was going to get loose, but he pushed it back. The Admiral himself couldn't have done better. A thing like that shouldn't have even answered to summoners of our level..."

"It w-wasn't me," Tavros said, his voice shaking, "It, it w-was that, thing. It, wanted, out. It didn't care, who it had to go through. It wanted, into the world. It was, hungry, I could feel it..."

His shaking increased and Aradia squeezed him tighter.

"Hush, both of you," She said, "No more talking about it tonight. He's had enough."

They brought him up to his room and Tavros thanked them quietly. Now that the immediate horror of the situation had abated, he fell strange and numb, unable to focus. He crawled into his bed, and his friends said their lingering, worried goodbyes before departing.

Tavros couldn't sleep however. He'd doze off, only to wake a moment later, shaking, as he remembered the face of the thing he'd almost summoned. He rolled over, weariness growing by the moment, and watched the forest shifting in the night breeze beyond his window. The attic was drafty, and the cold of the autumn night left him shivering out of cold as much as fear. He wished suddenly and deeply to be back at home, curled up in front of the fire with his father and his brother. He wished none of this had ever happened, and that he'd never wanted to be a summoner. He half wished he'd been born without the skill at all.

It had been several sleepless hours before he heard the thump outside the door and a muffled 'Ow!'

He sat up sharply, heart racing, but when the door opened it was only Aradia he saw standing there, holding a lantern. Kurloz was lying at her feet, clutching his ribs.

"Sorry," Aradia whispered, stepping over the clown and coming to sit on the edge of his bed, "I couldn't sleep. I wanted to come check on you. I didn't mean to wake you up, but I tripped over that one."

She indicated Kurloz, who was staggering to his feet, still rubbing his side and casting Aradia nasty glances as he came to join them on Tavros's bed.

"I think he was standing guard," Aradia said, eyeing Kurloz with a kind of baffled approval.

Kurloz shrugged evasively, not meeting either of their eyes, but Tavros smiled, heart aching with gratitude that these two were his friends.

"I don't really feel like walking all the way back down to the kitchens," Aradia said with a yawn, "Do you mind if I stay up here with you?"

Tavros could tell what she was getting at and smiled gratefully.

"Sure," He said, "And, if you want to keep, uh, keeping watch, Kurloz, you could do it from in here, if you wanted."

They couldn't all fit in the narrow bed, so they dragged the mattress off onto the floor and created a makeshift nest, curling up in a pile with Tavros at the center. Kurloz was all sharp elbows and knees and Aradia snored, but Tavros had never slept so well.

Feeling better the next day, Tavros returned to his lessons with only minor trepidation. However, it seemed now that Dualscar had made his point he'd lost interest in tormenting Tavros. He ignored the low born boy entirely instead. Tavros, as much as he'd enjoyed being able to show his skill, honestly preferred it. Being ignored was better than the kind of attention he'd received yesterday.

Still, in spite of or perhaps because of, what had happened with the named summon, rumors began to grow that Tavros would be chosen to go to the front lines at the end of the season. Vriska's antagonism had never really ceased, but as Tavros's name began to eclipse hers in the running, it increased dramatically. Tavros stuck close to Eridan, Kurloz, and Aradia whenever he could, as Vriska would take any opportunity to corner him in the hall and remind him of what a spineless peasant he was. She seemed to justify it to herself at least as 'encouraging him' by interspersing her insults and occasional mild physical abuse with the sage advice that he would never be a real summoner if he couldn't learn to defend himself. She was just trying to help him toughen up, she said. Tavros had no interest in Vriska's idea of toughness, which was to say, being exactly like Vriska. He avoided her when he could.

Rumors aside, Tavros knew now he would never be chosen. Dualscar would never acknowledge Tavros again if he could manage it, let alone admit he was more skilled than his highborn, titled peers. Tavros just wanted it to be over. The sooner the little contest ended the sooner Vriska would be very far away. He was less excited about Eridan and Kurloz leaving however.

"It'll probably only be a few months," Eridan assured him, "The Admiral never stays at the front for long anymore. I know you'll be lost without me around, but you can survive that long."

Kurloz had just ruffled his hair and stolen his apple.

It was only a few days before the selection would be made that Eridan rushed into the room where the apprentices were sorting summoning ingredients, flushed with excitement and waving a letter.

"Feferi's coming!" He said before Tavros could even ask, breathless with enthusiasm, "The imperial heiress Feferi Piexes herself is coming here to oversee the selection of the apprentices to go to the front lines!"

"Holy cow, really?" Tavros said, confused, "Why?"

Eridan apparently having forgotten he wasn't supposed to associate with Tavros during class, draped himself across the table Tavros was working at sorting sparrow skulls to show him the letter.

"Apparently, this war in the east is a bigger deal than we thought," Eridan said, "The Empress wants to make a big show and encourage everyone to contribute, and sending to princess to select the best and brightest future summoner's for the front lines is supposed to be a big symbolic gesture of how serious this is."

"Whoa," Tavros said, suddenly concerned, "If it's, really that serious, uh, do you, really want to be out there, on the front? It could be, dangerous..."

"Don't be ridiculous," Eridan said waving a hand, "This is the imperial army we're talking about, the enemy doesn't stand a chance."

"But what about-"

"Who cares!" Eridan said, sweeping his arms out in a dramatic gesture and knocking Tavros's sparrow skulls to the floor, "Feferi is coming! Do you know how long it's been since I saw her?"

Eridan, though he did help Tavros pick up the skulls, talked of nothing else for the next several days. Tavros nodded along to the endless extolling of the princess's many virtues and the continuous overwhelming trumpeting of how close their relationship was and how they had been destined to be married from birth. Though it was exhausting, Tavros tried not to hold it against Eridan and to be happy for his friend. Tavros was sure he'd be just as excited when Eridan came back after not getting to see him for a while.

When the day finally arrived, the apprentices gathered outside of the main house to greet the princess as she arrived. The Admiral stood in front of them in his dress uniform, straight-backed and serious, his cape a dramatic flair of noble violet behind him.

Eridan was similarly dressed to the nines. All of the apprentices were looking their best, but Eridan had never been so elaborately decorated. He was wearing what looked like every piece of jewelry he owned and he'd even specially ordered a cape from town to match his fathers. The standing collar came up all the way over his ears. Tavros told him he looked very intimidating and Eridan had blushed with pride.

The carriage arrived to great ceremony. A smaller carriage preceded it, unloading a band of trumpeters, a royal caller, and two servants with a carpet which they laid out quickly to cover the walk between the carriage landing and the steps of the house.

The princess's carriage itself was an even bigger and gaudier affair than Dualscar's had been, fairly frothing with gold leaf and elaborate arabesques and decorative flourishes. Tavros had no idea how it could possibly move, even with the team of six white horses pulling it. It looked like it was made of spun sugar and would collapse at any touch.

Tavros, feeling slightly inadequate standing next to Eridan and his magnificent cape, stood a little straighter as the carriage pulled to a stop in front of them. His nicest clothes were only his normal clothes with his hair brushed slightly more thoroughly than usual. Aradia had scrubbed out all the stains for him, but he still looked a bit shabby compared to everyone else. He hoped the princess didn't notice. She'd probably just assume he was a house servant or something.

He heard Eridan's breath catch beside him as the door of the carriage opened. The trumpeters played a loud, triumphant salute and the caller cleared his voice to shout above them.

"Her Royal Majesty, the Imperial Heiress and Duchess of the Tyrian Isles, Princess Feferi Alexandra Maria Bodacia Constantina Piexes!"

The princess emerged from the carriage like an angel alighting from the clouds, descending in a graceful swirl of white lace like Venus from the seafoam, her hair a cascade of gold that floated behind her, nearly long enough to brush her ankles. She was the perfect fairy tale picture of the child princess, delicate and doll like, her dress all white and royal fuchsia and twice the size of the girl within it. Her eyes were large and round and blue as an October sky, and when they landed on Eridan they lit up with delight. She bounced off the last step of the carriage and ran to him, shouting his name. He was shocked into stillness by the breach of etiquette, but caught her when she threw herself at him, laughing as they hugged.

"You got taller!" The princess exclaimed, her voice like bells as the put him at arm's length to examine him, "I thought you were never going to grow!"

"I told you'd I'd hit a growth spurt," He said proudly, nose in the air to make himself look even taller, "I'm going to be as tall as the Admiral one day."

"I'm still going to be taller than you," The princess said with unshakable certainty, "I am determined."

"Knowing the empress, you probably will be," Eridan said laughing.

Dualscar cleared his throat. The rest of the apprentices were watching Eridan and the princess awkwardly. Tavros was still staring in a daze. He'd had no idea human beings could look that magical.

Feferi stepped back and regained her regal composure in an instant, inclining her head to the Admiral, who gave a sweeping bow in return.

"It is an honor to invite you to my home, your majesty," He said, "I am your humble servant as always."

"Thank you, Admiral," Feferi said graciously, "I am delighted to see your home and meet the summoners that will one day be fighting in my name."

Dualscar straightened up and gestured to the apprentices around him.

"You of course know my son, Eridan," He said, "And these are the ladies Serket and Pyrope, future Marquis of the Blood coast and heir to the baronets of White Pyre, respectively. Sir Kurloz Makara of the Bastille Makaras..."

He went on, introducing each apprentice and their titles and accomplishments at length. He skipped over Tavros, which Tavros had expected and didn't mind. But the princess, apparently, did. As the Admiral finished she turned her gaze of Tavros, her eyes surprisingly piercing. Tavros froze like a rabbit in the sights of an eagle.

"And you must be mister Nitram," She said, "Eridan has written to me about you extensively."

Tavros's cheeks heated in surprise and unexpected delight that Eridan thought he was important enough to include in his letters to the princess. He found himself at a loss, unsure what the etiquette was when addressed by royalty.

"Uh, um, uh," He started eloquently, "I-it's, uh, it's an honor, uh, I-"

Eridan put a hand on his shoulder and Tavros stopped, his face scarlet.

"You were right about the stammer," Feferi said with a small giggle, "It is adorable."

Tavros didn't hear anything else she said, the blood rushing to his face was too loud.

Introductions complete, the Admiral invited the princess inside to give her a tour of the house. Eridan went with her, while the other apprentices got to work along side the house staff clearing the tables out of the dining hall and preparing it for the demonstration that was soon to take place. All the best apprentices would be showing off their skills for the princess. The final decision on who would be selected was up to Dualscar, but the princess's judgement was bound to carry a great deal of weight.

By the time the furniture was carried out and the floor thoroughly swept, they only had a few minutes left to lay the circles themselves. Luckily, part of their training was to draw their circles quickly during combat.

Tavros assisted in laying out a circle with Kurloz while several other pairs of apprentices worked beside them, drawing a series of summoning circles along the length of the room. Kurloz stood in the center of the circle with a length of string. Tavros tied a piece of chalk to the other end and pulled the string taught, Kurloz gathering more until the chalk met the stone floor at the right distance to create a circle of the perfect size. Once the circles were drawn, careful not to smudge them, Tavros knelt to put in the finishing touches, standard binding sigils at five points around the circumference.

He was only just standing up, dusting the chalk off his pants, when the Admiral and the princess entered the room. Eridan was saying something quietly to Feferi that made her laugh until the Admiral cleared his throat impatiently.

"Are we ready to begin?" He asked, and a resounding yes sir went up the apprentices. Only one boy was still putting the final touches on his circle, quickly finishing up and returning to the line with the others.

"Good," The Admiral said, "Serket, Makara, Eridan. Take your places."

He called a few more of the stronger apprentices. Tavros's name wasn't among them. He hadn't expected it to be. He was content just to cheer for Eridan and Kurloz, or so he told himself, though the wriggling jealous disappointment at the pit of his stomach disagreed. The apprentices, having planned what they would summon in advance, stepped up to their circles holding their components, eager to begin.

"What about Nitram?" The princess said suddenly.

A surprised silence fell over the room replacing the excited murmuring that had been there before.

"Is he not one of your best?" Feferi asked, "I've heard he was not only the first of your apprentices to summon a class six, but a named demon responded to his summons. That certainly seems worthy of this little contest."

Dualscar glared at Eridan, determining he was the source of Feferi's information, and Eridan flinched.

"The Grand Holy Bastille is a frequent visitor at the summer palace," Feferi continued coolly, "And quite loose lipped after a little raspberry wine. I believe one of his sons is apprenticed to you. Were you not aware of the close contact he keeps with all his family?"

Kurloz waved a little at the Admiral, smile somewhat sinister. Dualscar looked a bit pale. Eridan looked relieved.

"I was unaware, your majesty," The Admiral confessed, "Regardless, the tales you've heard of Nitram's skill are inflated. He backed out of this challenge willingly. He lacks the resolve to see things to the end."

"Is it true?" Feferi asked, turning her gaze to Tavros, "Did you not want to compete?"

Tavros knew he'd pay if he told the truth, but he wasn't sure any cost was worth lying to the princess. He shook his head.

"As I thought," The princess said with a smile, "Clearly some mistake was made. I'm sure you must have misunderstood his stutter, Admiral. Well, go on mister Nitram, prepare your circle."

Tavros jumped, suddenly petrified to discover he was about to have to summon in front of her. Kurloz was at his side a moment later, giving him a gentle push to get him started again. With the older boy's help he laid out his circle in only a few seconds. As he finished he realized another problem however.

"I- I don't have, any components," He said.

"Well then, you shall just have to impress us without them," Dualscar said with a sneer, "It should be easy for a summoner of your skill."

Tavros swallowed hard. He wouldn't be able to do anything above a class five without components. He took a deep breath as Kurloz returned to his circle, trying to calm himself. It didn't matter anyway, the Admiral would never choose him. All he could hope for today was to impress the princess and prove she'd been right to advocate for him.

"We'll walk among you as you work," Dualscar said, "And do please try to keep everything within your circles. I am not in the mood for hunting rogues today. Begin!"

The apprentices got to work at once, dropping their components into the center of their circles and getting to work. Tavros pulled out his wand, and Eridan and Kurloz took out the ones he'd made for them. They both cast him grateful smiles as they did so and, encouraged, Tavros began to build his construct.

He'd thought about what he would do if he got to be part of the demonstration, but he'd thought he would have components then. Now he had to make things up as he went. He knelt to quickly scrawl sigils within the circle as he tried to figure out what he would make. He wanted a class five, something impressive. Something the princess would love. Eridan had said she loved the ocean. He could work with that. Laying out a few more sigils, he straightened up and waved his wand, beginning to sing his incantation. Blue green erupted from the edge of the circle, crashing towards the center in a splash of white foam. It swirled upwards like a water spout and Tavros began to build his construct around it, pouring it into a frame he was inventing as he made it. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the light and hear the workings of the other apprentices, but he tried to block them out. He couldn't afford to let his attention slip when he was working on something completely new.

It began to take shape, the sea-colored energy filling out the long, coiling tail, the brilliant flashing fins. The body stretched and grew scales. The head became tapered and draconic. Wide, brightly colored sails opened on its back like wings. The sea drake roared as it solidified and Tavros grinned in satisfaction. He could do more, he thought. There were details he could iron out. But first he glanced over to see where the princess was. She was standing near one of the other apprentices, who'd built a standard class seven ogre with some interesting modifications, but her eyes were on Tavros's sea drake and her eyes were shining with delight at the sight of it. Eridan had made an impressive class eight sky whale and was working on adding a massive spiral horn. Kurloz had made something Tavros was wary of even looking at but involved a lot of bone and teeth and had to be at least a class eight. Vriska's friend Pyrope had done something huge and flashy and colorful but very unstable. He could see her working to try and keep it together while it tried to collapse in on itself. And Vriska was beside him, working on something enormous and insectoid. Just glancing at it Tavros thought it had to be at least a class ten. And she was struggling with it. She'd bitten off more than she could chew. She was wrestling with the energy, trying to keep it inside the construct, in the shape she wanted, and it was actively fighting her, wanting to break loose. It was then Tavros noticed the energy, cobalt and twitchy, creeping towards the edge of the circle. Tavros's eyes widened in sudden worry. One of the binding sigils was smudged. The apprentice who'd been lagging behind must have stepped on it by accident as he was hurrying to finish.

"Vriska," He whispered loudly, trying to get her attention, "Vriska, the sigil, l-look down!"

She was stalwartly ignoring him, likely assuming he was trying to sabotage her. The energy crept closer to the smudged sigil. If it reached it, the entire malformed summon could break loose and run rampant.

"Vriska!" He shouted this time, "The sigil!"

She finally looked down, and Tavros saw the fear in her eyes as she froze.

He banished his summon in an instant. He'd never shut one down so fast, but the energy crashed into nothing when he willed it too practically without thinking. A half a second later he was diving to the floor at Vriska's feet, pulling out his chalk.

"H-hold it, back!" He cried, shocking Vriska out of her paralysis. Wide eyed, she threw her will into forcing the energy back. No longer preoccupied by her struggling to shape it, the energy pushed back against her all the more fiercely, forcing its way towards the weakness in the binding even as Tavros rushed to scrub out the blurred sigil and scratch in a new one. This wasn't a matter of banishing at this point, but of containing. Most magical energy wanted to return to the demonic plane. Part of summoning was giving the summon a desire that overrode that instinct. And Vriska had been trying for a combat summon. She'd filled it with the desire to fight and feed and kill. It would not be banished until it had tasted blood. All they could do was hold it back. Tavros scrawled in the missing sigil and kept going, working at a blinding pace as he moved around the circle, reinforcing the basic bindings and building in new, stronger ones. The creature slammed itself against Vriska's will, against the walls Tavros was building around it. Tavros felt them shake and crack and knew he couldn't hold it back forever.

"Step aside!" He heard Dualscar bellow, and he felt Vriska's will vanish.

Tavros kept working, kept building the bindings thicker, even as Dualscar took control, forcing the summon back, rewriting its purpose until, finally, it collapsed in a wash of blue black energy that scurried around the circle like insects before at last dissipating. Silence fell over the dining hall and Tavros dropped his chalk, hands shaking. He sat down hard on the floor, exhausted. A few seconds passed as he tried to catch his breath. After a long moment, someone began to clap.

Tavros looked up, baffled, to see the princess applauding him.

"Very good work," She said, "I've seen seasoned summoners in the royal contingent would couldn't work that fast. I look forward to seeing you on the front lines, mister Nitram."

She cast a stern look at Dualscar.

"I will see him there, won't I?" She asked the Admiral, who was straightening his cape busily. He scowled at the ground.

"If that is what your majesty wishes," He gave in, though clearly not happy about it. The princess beamed.

"Good!" She said, "We need the best for this fight! Eridan, Sir Makara, I expect to see you there as well. I was quite impressed with all of your work. You have a good crop of apprentices here, Admiral."

Tavros was grinning so hard his face hurt. He'd made it! He looked over, trying to spot Eridan and Kurloz, and saw Vriska instead. There were tears on her cheeks, flowing fast and hard, and she was looking at the princess with an expression of mixed rage and humiliation. She looked at Tavros suddenly with a glare of such hate that Tavros could almost feel it burning his skin.

Before he had a chance to try to say anything to her, Kurloz suddenly caught him under the arms, lifting him up off the ground and spinning him around. Tavros laughed in surprise as the older boy set him down in front of Eridan, who hugged him suddenly, grinning from ear to ear.

"This is amazing!" He said, "We're all going to go together! The way you stopped that class ten- you're even better than I thought you were!"

"Y-your, skywhale, could have eaten my summon for breakfast," Tavros said with a laugh.

"Well, that's obvious," Eridan agreed, tossing his hair, "But it wouldn't have the chance if you banished it like that first. Did you see Kurloz's... thing? What was that?"

They both looked at Kurloz, who just shrugged.

"Well it was awesome, whatever it was," Eridan declared, "We're all awesome, and we're going to continue being awesome, together, and that's awesome!"

Tavros laughed till his eyes teared up, overwhelmed by his incredible luck. He didn't think he'd ever been this happy in his entire life.

Aradia soon joined them as the house servants arrived to prepare for dinner, and shrieked with delight when she learned Tavros had been selected.

"I'm going to!" She said, "I have to! A couple of the house servants are going to tend the Admiral. If I can't convince them to take me with them, I'll sneak into the supply wagon! There's no way I'm letting you three leave me behind!"

Tavros had hugged her until she'd begged him to let her breathe.

At dinner, Kurloz was invited to sit beside Eridan and the princess and, on their insistence, Tavros was allowed to sit with them as well. The head table had never been so loud and joyous. Dualscar excused himself early in undisguised disgust. As dinner wrapped up, Eridan volunteered to see Feferi to her room.

"I'll meet you guys in the library later," He said, "I have a surprise for all of you."

They parted, Eridan heading upstairs with the princess, and Tavros, Kurloz, and Aradia heading for the library.

They were halfway there, Aradia talking mischievously about sneaking a bottle of wine from the cellar to celebrate with, when Tavros realized his wand was not in his pocket.

"Uh, go ahead, without me," He said, frowning, "I need to go back, and grab something. I'll meet you there, in a minute."

"Okay, don't take too long!" Aradia said with a smile before turning back to Kurloz, "Now, I know you can pick locks..."

Tavros shook his head and turned around, hurrying back to the dining hall. His wand must have fallen out of his pocket while he was eating. He hoped one of the kitchen staff hadn't found it. Knowing Damara she might throw it away.

They were still working on clearing up when Tavros ducked back into the dining hall, though the last of the guests had by now wandered out. Tavros hurried to where he'd been sitting, checking under the table. He frowned when he didn't see it, worried. He tapped one of the servants on the shoulder politely.

"Um, excuse me," He said, "I'm, sorry to bother you, but, uh, did anyone pick up, a wand? I, can't find mine..."

The servant shook her head, but another one nearby piped up.

"Yeah, there was a girl in here earlier," The man said, "She said if anyone came looking for a lost wand to tell them she had it. Said she's on the fourth floor, I think? She went that way, towards the main staircase."

"Thank you!" Tavros said gratefully, and hurried off, wondering who it could be and why they would have taken it to the fourth floor. That floor was barely used. Dualscar's private quarters were up there, some other rarely used guest rooms. He supposed the princess was probably staying on that floor. Maybe it was Feferi who'd found it?

He climbed the stairs quickly, eager to get back to his friends and celebrate. He was almost as nervous as he was excited. He would get to stay with everyone, travel, prove himself as a real summoner. But he was also going to be on the front lines of a war, which was a little terrifying, not matter what Eridan said about the imperial army's skills.

He reached the fourth floor, which was dark and deserted at this time of night. Dualscar was still downstairs having drinks with the princess's entourage. Feferi was likely in her room, wherever that was. This was a very large, very empty floor.

He wandered down the dark hallway, wondering where the person with his wand was.

"Hello?" He called hopefully, "Uh, is anyone up here?"

He hoped that servant hadn't just been tricking him. It hadn't seemed like it, but Aradia had said there were a couple of not so nice who worked on the staff. Mostly friends of Damara's, she'd said. But then, Aradia and her sister didn't get along so well.

"Over here!" Someone called.

Tavros hurried closer, spotting a narrow staircase. There was someone standing at the top, their face hidden in shadow, and as Tavros approached they climbed the rest of the way up, disappearing from sight. Tavros felt a squirm of fear in his gut. Maybe he should go back and get Kurloz and Aradia. Something here didn't feel right.

He shook it off, telling himself he was being silly. He was going to be on the front lines of a war, he couldn't keep acting like a scared kid.

He climbed the narrow staircase, discovering it didn't end at the landing, but curved and kept going up. It must be one of the towers, he realized. He'd never been up here. It didn't look like it was visited often, the narrow windows full of cobwebs and stairs coated in a layer of dust disturbed only by a pair of footprints which he assumed belonged to the person who'd called him.

The stairs curved up and up and at last ended at the tower's peak. Tavros emerged into a wide, round room, empty except for the person he was following. She stood at the other side of the room, near a large window that looked out on the roof of the house. In the light of the moon shining through it, Tavros could see her face.

"Vriska?" He said quietly, worry growing, "Do you, uh, do you have my wand?"

She pulled it from her pocket without a word and tossed it to him. He fumbled to catch it, confused but grateful.

"Th-thanks," He said, "Uh, I guess I'll-"

"Follow me," She said sharply.

She turned to the window and pushed it open, throwing a leg over the sill to climb out. When he didn't move from the stair she looked back at him with an expression of impatient irritation.

"I said follow me," She snapped, "Or are you too scared?"

"I-I'm not, scared," Tavros protested, clutching his wand tightly.

Vriska just raised her eyebrows expectantly and, after a moment of hesitation, Tavros crossed the room to the window. Vriska had already slipped out by the time he reached it, and was standing on the flat peak of the roof outside, her yellow hair caught in the night breeze. Tavros, uneasy, climbed out after her, swallowing hard as he stepped out onto the narrow rooftop.

"So I made a decision," Vriska said, turning away from him to look out at the moon, "Obviously you've got some skill. Going on pretending you don't would just be stupid, and a waste of the potential resources you might provide. I admit I probably shouldn't have given up on you so fast. I guess I was just disappointed. Everyone knows about my mom and your dad. When I heard the Summoner's son was coming, I just expected more. God you were so pathetic. You still are to be honest. How you're related to someone as great as the Summoner was supposed to be I can't even imagine. Do you know, there's a good chance we're siblings?"

She looked back over her shoulder at Tavros as she spoke, and there was something strange in her eyes. She started walking along the roof and, not sure what to expect but too proud to go back, Tavros followed. It seemed like, in a longwinded way, Vriska was trying to apologize. Maybe they could be friends after all?

"Half siblings, anyway," Vriska said, hopping from one peak to another, "I'm fairly certain the Admiral is my father. He and my mother had a very lurid and very public fling. I'm fairly certain she still has dirt on him, or he would never have taken me as his apprentice. But wouldn't it be great if we were? Siblings, I mean. What a great example of the difference parenting can make. Have you ever heard of wrecking?"

Tavros, carefully stepping over the gap she'd leapt, shook his head in confusion.

"Of course you don't. Why would you know anything important?" Vriska said rolling her eyes, "It's a pirating trick. You use lights to confuse ships into crashing and then, when the ship is wrecked and the crew is dead, you sweep in and take their stuff. Much easier than chasing someone down at sea. It was one of mom's favorite techniques. She'd commandeer a lighthouse and put out its flame, then send me out a little ways inland with a lantern. The ships would see me and think I was the lighthouse, and that the way ahead was clear. We did it so many times I lost count. Merchant ships, traders, rich passenger ships, there was no one off limits to the Marquis. She said I was the best lure in all her crew. No one else held the lamp as steady."

"That's, horrible," Tavros said quietly, "I'm, sorry."

"Don't be," Vriska scoffed, "I'm not. It made me strong. I learned early that if you want something you have to take it. Only the most ruthless survive. It's a lesson you clearly didn't learn from your failure of a father."

She paused. They'd wandered a good way from the tower now. Tavros didn't dare look over the edge of the roof, but the ground felt very far away, and the roof beneath him terribly narrow.

"Once we targeted a ship we thought was a trader," Vriska said, her voice strange and distant, "Brought it in nice and smooth. Everything went the same way it always did. When I heard it crash I ran to come and see, to help the Marquis and the rest carry in the loot. But as soon as I got to the shore... I'd seen bodies before. They washed up with the wrecks all the time. But never that many. The belly of the ship had split open on the rocks and just... spilled people, like blood out of a wound. They couldn't swim, you see, because of the chains. But they were trying. My mother was very upset. If she'd known it was a slave ship she would have taken it at sea. You can't sell drowned cargo."

Tavros felt sick. He was reconsidering whether it was worth it to be brave. He wanted to go back to the tower. Vriska turned around to face him.

"See what I mean?" Vriska said, shaking her head, "You're all pale and shaky just from hearing about it. Weak. But I've decided I'm going to fix that. I'm not going to let some weakling be a better summoner than me, especially when there's a chance we might be related. So I'm going to teach you how to be strong."

"T-teach me?" Tavros asked, suddenly hopeful.

"Yeah, who better right?" She said with a shrug, "I'm definitely the strongest person you know. I figure we'll start the same way I did. There's no ocean around to throw you in though, so this will have to do."

"What," Tavros asked, confused.

"That's how you teach someone to swim," Vriska replied, "You throw them into the deep end. And if they're not idiots, they figure it out just to keep from drowning. There's no ocean to throw you in around here, so the roof will work."

"You're going to throw me off the roof?" Tavros squeaked in disbelief, beginning to try and work his way back along the roof. It was dark, even with the bright full autumn moon and he'd always been clumsy.

"No, you idiot," Vriska said rolling her eyes, "You're going to jump. A summoner as good and fast as you should be able to summon wings or something before he hits the ground. You'd better start drawing now, I'm not going to wait all night."

"B-but Vriska, I can't-" Tavros shook his head, confused and afraid, "This is-"

"Just do it, you baby!" Vriska shouted, "Prove to me your worth my time! Prove you deserve that spot more than me!"

As Tavros shook his head again she charged towards him, surefooted as a cat on the roof tiles.

"Do it, or I will shove you off and make you do it!" She snarled, "Either do it here, or do it on the way down, it's your choice!"

Tavros, too afraid to refuse, crouched and began scribbling a messy circle on the roof tiles, his hands shaking and his mind blank. He could summon something to save him, he thought, something big enough to scare Vriska off for good. If he could just get his hands to stop shaking long enough to make a proper sigil. He was already chanting, golden light beginning to bubble up, but he couldn't stop stuttering and the light flickered and faltered, coming in fits and spurts.

"Good enough," Vriska said, "Now fly."

Tavros felt her boot connect with his side, and suddenly the world was spinning, a kaleidoscope of roof tiles and night sky and he couldn't remember how to speak or how to summon and then the ground was rushing up towards him, the roar of wind louder and louder in his ears and then suddenly silent. He tasted earth and felt nothing.


	5. Chapter 5

The Summoner's Companion Chapter 5

Dark.

Light, voices, pain.

Dark.

Too bright, too loud, pain.

Dark.

Dim, amber light, the sunset through a window. Someone's crying. Numb.

Dark.

Tavros fell in and out of consciousness. Life was snapshots of people standing over him or otherwise bare ceilings, and empty darkness full of the fear of what had happened to him.

The first time he came too for more than a moment, he was lying in a bed in a room he didn't recognize. There was a chair near the bed, and Aradia was curled up in it asleep. He made a noise. It was supposed to be words but it was just a rasping sound. Aradia woke anyway, sat up immediately in a mild panic.

"I'll get Eridan!" She blurted, and dashed from the room. He was out again before she got back.

The next time he woke it was Kurloz standing watch. Tavros tried to ask what had happened, but Kurloz couldn't answer, even if he could understand Tavros's words. He just held Tavros's hand until he passed out again.

Finally, Tavros woke, and the world was in focus rather than spinning and blurring, and he knew this time he wasn't going to just pass out again.

Aradia and Eridan were standing near the foot of his bed, arguing.

"-going to get worse!" Aradia was scolding Eridan, who looked thinner and more miserable than usual.

"I don't care," He snapped, "He can do what he likes. I'm not leaving until Tavros wakes up."

"You're not going to be any good to him if your father strangles you before he-"

Tavros cut Aradia off with a groan. He'd been trying to say hello. They dropped their argument at once, hurrying to his side.

"You're awake!" Aradia gasped, her eyes wide and a little panicked.

"Please don't, run away again," Tavros said, his voice rough from disuse, "Where, am I?"

"You're in one of the guest rooms," Eridan supplied while Aradia looked mildly embarrassed, "You've been unconscious for... for about a month. Do you remember what happened to you?"

"The roof," Tavros said, shivering, "Vriska."

"I knew it," Aradia hissed, "She's claiming you jumped. Spun this whole ridiculous story about following you up to the roof. Said she tried to stop you but you were too quick for her. It's utter bull shit."

"Aradia!" Eridan said, scandalized.

"Well it is!" Aradia shouted, "She pushed him off because she wanted his spot and she's going to get away with it."

"There's nothing we can do about that," Eridan said grimly, "No one is going to take his word over hers. Let's just focus on getting him better, all right?"

"Guys?" Tavros said quietly, interrupting them, "Why can't I, feel my legs?"

Eridan and Aradia fell worryingly silent.

"I'll get the doctor," Aradia said, and hurried out.

"You fell really far, Tav," Eridan said slowly, "Feferi made sure you had the best healers. The... the best ones that would treat you, anyway. But there are some things healers can't fix..."

He kept talking, but Tavros wasn't listening anymore. All his attention was on the void below his waist. The eerie absence of feeling, like everything that had been there was just gone.

The doctor spoke to him for a bit. Spoke at him. The healer didn't seem happy to be there. From what Eridan had said, he was only there at all because Feferi had threatened him. The doctor said Tavros had damaged his spine, and would likely never walk again.

Tavros hadn't really reacted. He didn't know how. The world felt almost as numb and distant as his legs, like a story that had happened to someone else. Tavros wanted to wake up. He wanted everything to go back to normal. He wanted to run in the woods again. He wanted to go home.

It didn't really hit him until they brought in the wheelchair for the first time and put him in it. This was his life now, he realized. Anything that ever happened to him for the rest of his life would happen to him in this chair. He had cried then, and Aradia had held him while Kurloz kept the nurses at bay with silent menace.

A day passed in which he didn't speak much.

The Admiral came to visit him. The menace that had been in his attitude towards Tavros since the incident in the woods was gone. Tavros was no longer a threat. Dualscar expressed his sincere condolences for what had happened and told Tavros a ship had been arranged to see him home as soon as he was well enough to travel. Tavros had been confused for a moment, before he realized, as Dualscar must have, he was never going to be a summoner. Certainly not one in the imperial army. The empress had no use for crippled magicians.

Tavros was struck with a sudden feeling of being lost. Everything he'd ever wanted for his life, everything his father had ever wanted for him, every possible future he'd ever imagined for himself was suddenly impossible. He didn't know what was going to happen to him. He didn't know what to do.

The Admiral had the grace to simple leave when Tavros started crying again.

"Shouldn't you, have left by now?" Tavros asked, voice dull, the next time Eridan came to see him, "You, and Kurloz, and the Admiral. You should all, be on the front lines by now."

"I refused to leave," Eridan said, "My father was not pleased, but Feferi supported me. Delayed the expedition by imperial order. Now that you're... Now that I know you aren't dying, we'll be leaving in a few days. I wanted to put it off longer, but-"

"It's fine," Tavros said, "I understand. Try, to have a good time anyway."

"Unlikely," Eridan said with a grumble, "Vriska's coming. They gave your spot to her."

Tavros felt like screaming and breaking something, but he didn't have the energy. Besides, he should have expected it. It was always her spot.

"I'm feeding her to a summon the first chance I get," Eridan promised, and somehow Tavros didn't think he was joking.

"I won't, see you again, will I?" Tavros said, beginning to realize, "They're sending me, back home. And you'll be..."

"No, we'll still be friends," Eridan said firmly, "We'll write letters, and I'll visit you. I don't care if I have to run away and steal a boat. This isn't the end."

Tavros didn't believe him, but he appreciated it anyway. He guessed he should be grateful that he'd had such good friends even for a little while.

Tavros hadn't left the guest room since he'd woken up. He was still recovering, the doctor still coming in to check on him regularly. He fractured his arm as well as several ribs in the fall. He hadn't recognized himself the first time he saw himself naked after. He'd been so covered in bruises he was an entirely different color. They gave him the chair, and put him in it a few times a day to try and get him used to it. But he only rolled it into a corner and sat, staring. He hadn't yet been brave enough to try looking out the window. Eridan and Kurloz brought him books from the library, but studying seemed pointless now that he couldn't be a summoner. Why bother, when the simple fact was that he was no longer capable of even bending down to draw a summoning circle? He supposed he could drag himself out of his chair and crawl. But he'd never be able to keep from smudging his lines.

It was the day before the expedition was supposed to leave when Kurloz came to see him and found him in his chair, staring at the floor. Kurloz looked at the untouched books on the table, and he looked at Tavros. He made a sound, the first Tavros had ever heard him make, muffled behind his stitches. It sounded frustrated. He crossed the room in two long legged strides, bent down, and picked Tavros up out of his chair.

"S-stop!" Tavros said, surprised, "Put me, down!"

But Kurloz only shifted Tavros higher in his arms and started walking, leaving the guest room behind.

"What, are you doing?" Tavros asked, baffled, "Kurloz, I want to go back, to my chair."

Kurloz just stared ahead and kept walking. Tavros tried a few more times, but the older boy wasn't answering.

Tavros realized, his stomach twisting nauseatingly, that they were on the fourth floor. Kurloz was heading for the stairs to the tower.

"Kurloz..." Tavros said, fear growing, "Kurloz please take me back."

But Kurloz only headed up the tower stairs in perfect silence. As he crossed the tower room to the window, tears were filling Tavros's eyes.

"Please don't," He croaked, "Kurloz, please."

Kurloz hesitated for just a moment. Tavros felt the arms around him shift uncertainly. But then he opened the window, and stepped out with Tavros in his arms. Tavros sobbed.

He didn't know what to expect. Was Kurloz going to throw him off the roof? Finish the job Vriska started? Tavros had never understood Kurloz's motivations well, but this was beyond anything the older boy had ever done before.

He carried Tavros out onto the roof, striding confidently over the tiles, his balance seemingly unhindered by the weight of his burden or how much it shook. Tavros had heard disciples in the holy hoard were trained in strange skills like tight rope walking and acrobatics, which made their movements lithe and unpredictable in battle. But Kurloz was surely too young to have undergone such training. Then again, Tavros would also have said he was too young to have taken a vow of silence, but the stitches on his lips disagreed. Tavros had no idea who Kurloz was really, or what horrors he'd endured in the name of his faith.

Finally Kurloz stopped on a wide section of flat roof. He set Tavros down gently on the tiles, a hand on his shoulder to keep him steady. Then he dug in his coat and pulled out a piece of chalk, pressing it into Tavros's hand. Tavros nearly dropped it he was shaking so badly. Was Kurloz trying to make him reenact the whole horrible event? Tavros could barely see straight. The sky above him and the closeness of the drop he knew lay just beyond the edge of the roof had his head spinning. He was too scared to move. When he just sat there staring at Kurloz, the older boy knelt and took Tavros's hand, the chalk still held in it, and brought it to the roof tiles. He paused for a moment to see if Tavros would take over, but Tavros was still too scared and confused. Kurloz closed his eyes for a moment in frustration, and then began moving Tavros's hand, pushing it around to make a small, shaky circle. He let go then, hoping Tavros would take over.

"You, want me to do the sigils?" Tavros asked, baffled and teary eyed, "Kurloz, I can't, I can't do anything, anymore, why are you making me-"

Kurloz made another sound, angry and frustrated behind his stitches. For the first time Tavros could tell Kurloz wished he could speak. He took Tavros's hand again and began guiding him in drawing the sigils, forcing him to move the chalk. Gradually, Tavros began to understand what Kurloz was setting up to summon.

"A class one, fairy bull?" Tavros said, confused, "Why? They're, useless. They're just for, carrying messages, and stuff."

Kurloz shook his head and just kept moving Tavros's hand. When the circle was finished he let go again and looked at Tavros expectantly. Tavros considered refusing, but he had a feeling Kurloz would just keep forcing him. Fine, if it meant so much to Kurloz, he'd prove how useless he was. He half expected the magic not to respond to him at all when he called. But it did, just as easily as it ever had, even if singing was harder when he felt like this. Bronze colored light bubbled and splashed over the edges of the small circle, building up in the center. He was surprised to see it was still positively charged, even with how he was feeling right now.

Shaping the little bull was almost effortless. It hadn't been difficult for him even before he'd come here. Now he could have done it in his sleep. The construct filled with energy, solidified, and the summon floated off of the roof tiles, wings fluttering like a hummingbird's.

Kurloz took the chalk from Tavros's hands then, and, to Tavros's great confusion, held it out to the summon, who took it between their hooves carefully. Kurloz looked at Tavros expectantly then, an encouraging smile behind his stitches.

"I don't, understand," Tavros said, answering Kurloz's smile with a look of miserable confusion. Kurloz shook his head and stood up. As Tavros watched, he spun quickly around the roof, twirling carelessly as if he was on solid ground, gesturing out the shape of another, larger circle.

"But, Kurloz, I can't-" Tavros started to answer, then paused, looking at the fairy bull holding the chalk. Could that work?

Tavros bit his lip thoughtfully, not sure he wanted to get his hopes up, then gave the order. The bull fairy flew out of its own circle and dragged the chalk across the tiles.

"Mm, no, over a bit," Tavros muttered, making corrections to his orders as he struggled to get the bull to draw a circle. It seemed more inclined to straight lines. He wasn't sure how to communicate curves through his chant. But it was, in a sense, working. And he could tell if he refined the process a bit more, he could make it work better. He'd just never used summons for anything this delicate before. He wasn't sure anyone ever had. He'd seen them used for heavy lifting and other brute force work by civilians, but they were primarily tools of war after all.

Slowly, laboriously, with much going back and redrawing, Tavros guided the fairy bull around the roof leaving an, if not perfect, adequate summoning circle in its wake.

"I don't think, I can make it do the sigils," Tavros said as the fairy bull returned to its smaller circle, "I, just don't have that much control over it."

Kurloz nodded, and took the chalk from the bull. He began writing out the sigils himself, working in a complex, labyrinthine formula Tavros hadn't seen before. He didn't write in the straightforward, blocky sentences Tavros used, but a curving script that doubled back on itself into dense nigh unreadable tangles of complex commands.

When he was done, he came to Tavros's side and put a hand on his shoulder. He gestured to the circle, offering it to Tavros, but Tavros had no idea what he was trying to summon. He tried anyway, pushing his energy into the tangle of sigils and beginning to build up the power. To his surprise, Kurloz began to do it as well, their energy mingling and flowing as they worked in tandem. Tavros hadn't even known it was possible for two summoners to work on the same circle. Certainly it wasn't as easy as working alone. Keeping his energy balanced with Kurloz's, trying not to let the pressure of the other boy's working distract him. And as rich, plum colored magic began rolling around the circle in slowly building waves, he found himself at a loss for what to do to build the construct. He began to chant, setting up a simple base, and Kurloz beside him began to move, swaying and gesturing in the strange way that was his own silent version of the chant. Tavros felt Kurloz's energy guiding his own, putting him in the right places to build his lines, and slowly Tavros began to recognize the shape they were making and needed less guidance, feeling a strange, breathtaking rush every time one of their lines met perfectly. They built a cage of gold together and watched it fill with magic, and Tavros couldn't help a smile of delight as it solidified and took on life.

It was a massive skeleton, its head alone larger than Tavros, bent with its knuckles brushing the rooftop. Tavros had no idea what class it was, let alone its title, if it had ever been summoned before at all. Kurloz was smiling, looking up at it, and squeezed Tavros's shoulder in approval. Then he made a short series of gestures and the huge, silent skeleton turned and strode off into the sky. Tavros watched it, walking on air with wide, easy strides, until it vanished into the sun. Kurloz cut off the energy of the summon, banishing it though it had already vanished from sight.

Tavros realized, abruptly, that for a little while at least, he'd forgotten to be afraid. Now that the distraction was gone, he felt the fear creeping back. He kept his eyes off the edge of the roof. But for a moment, he hadn't been afraid. He realized what Kurloz had been trying to show him. He wasn't worthless. His future wasn't gone. He could still summon. He might need to do things a little differently, might need help sometimes. But he could do it. His life wasn't over. A wild hope bloomed inside his chest. He could still do this.

"Can we, go back inside now?" Tavros asked, and Kurloz nodded, sending a wave of relief through Tavros.

Kurloz scooped him up, and Tavros closed his eyes until he heard the window shut behind them and knew they were back inside the tower. Rather than going back down the stairs, however, Kurloz set him down again. Tavros waited curiously as Kurloz picked up something he'd tucked in a dusty corner of the room, and brought it over, placing it in Tavros's lap. Tavros ran his fingers over it in surprise. It was the ugly, leather bound book of named summons Dualscar had used to test him. Kurloz must have taken it from the room that day when he'd been cleaning up. Kurloz put a hand on it and gave Tavros a steady, serious look. Tavros felt the hope in his chest solidify into icy determination. Kurloz was right. No one, especially the admiral, was going to take him seriously again. Not until he proved himself. He nodded, holding the book to his chest tightly, and Kurloz scooped him up and carried him back to his chair.

Tavros hid the book in his room and, the first time a nurse stopped in to see him, he asked for a small chalkboard and a long stick. The puzzled nurse delivered them and Tavros got to work at once. He only had tonight to do this. He would not be sent away. He would not be forgotten.

He tied his chalk to the long stick, and practiced drawing sigils on the floor from his chair with it. It was not easy, but it was easier than trying to convince a summon to do it. But he would learn to do that as well. The next time the nurse came by he startled her severely, as he'd summoned a pair of class two plague rats. Not pretty to look at, but far more dexterous hands than the fairy bull.

"Sorry, miss," He said to the nurse, "Just, keeping up with my studies."

The nurse looked confused, put up her hands up as if to say it was none of her business, and backed out.

"Just don't hurt yourself," She said, and left.

Tavros spent the rest of the afternoon figuring out how to guide the rats. The sigils were too clumsy. They were meant for direct orders, not this kind of nuanced work. He fought not to let the frustration slow him down as he tried again. He found himself thinking about Kurloz and his way of chanting through hand gestures. If orders could be given voicelessly, then did it really matter if he voiced the commands? It must be more about will and intention, he decided, than what was actually spoken. So, he just needed to find a way to make his will clearer to the summons, a way to make them understand what he wanted without him needing to translate it into the clunky and confusing language of magic. Perhaps if he'd been older, had a better understanding of magical vocabulary, it would be easier to state things that way, but for now he needed a more direct route.

Tucking the rats into his bag, he rolled his chair out of the guest room and down the hall. He was on the fourth floor, but the library was on the first and second. He'd need to get himself and his chair down two flights of stairs. He couldn't imagine how he'd get back up again. He sat at the top of the stairs for a long moment, stymied. It was early evening now. Everyone was probably on their way to dinner. The nurse wouldn't be in to check on him for a while. Slowly, thoughtfully, he rolled his chair back to his room, and got the rats to work on another circle. Soft green light like moss on stone rolled through the room as he carefully scrawled the last sigil in with his stick. He shaped it into a predator cat, double mouthed and grinning. A fairly powerful summon, but just a warmup for what he would do tonight. Mustering all his confidence, Tavros called the lion over to stand in front of his chair and, with some difficulty and some complaints from his damaged ribs, he dragged himself onto its back, clinging to its fur to keep himself in place, an endeavor made even more difficult by the strange, stretched out sensation of managing three summons at once. It was not something he'd be able to do for long, but the rats required relatively little power and he wouldn't need the cat to do much. He could manage this.

He nearly fell more than once as the cat padded down the stairs with him on its back. He steered it towards the library, ribs aching painfully and eager to keep working. He was afraid if he took too long he was certain to be caught by a house servant and sent back to his room, if not reported to the Admiral.

But they reached the library without incident, and the cat brought Tavros to the seat beneath the window where he'd spent so many afternoons with his friends. It was winter outside that window now. He climbed off and pulled out the chalkboard with the rat's circles on it, and realized he had no idea what he was looking for. What could he send them to find? He barely understood what it was he needed. He needed to be closer to his summons, to make them understand his will without his having to put it in words. But what kind of book would have something like that? Frustrated, he sent them out looking for books on alternative command tactics in general. He wished suddenly, deeply, that he knew other magic besides just summoning. Divining magic in particular would be invaluable right now. Or even the kind of practical telepathy that would let him move objects. He told himself quite firmly that, once he had done this, he would stop limiting himself to only one type of magic.

The rats, predictably, brought back a stack of mostly useless books. Tavros was losing time and hope. Tavros wished his father were here. No one had been able to manipulate summons like him. If he didn't know how to do what Tavros was trying, then he certainly would know where to start looking. Tavros felt a terrible rush of homesickness. Did his father even know what had happened to him yet? He was being such an idiot, even trying this. He should just go home. They were right. It was where he belonged, now more than ever.

Tears welled in his eyes and spilled onto the summoning circle. He quickly scrubbed them from his cheeks and focused, afraid they might smudge the bindings. A couple of plague rats couldn't do much damage if they went rogue but he'd rather not have to deal with that kind of trouble when he was already so short on time. He reached for his chalk at once- and then paused, confused. His tears had not smudged the summoning. In fact they hadn't even touched it. They were floating, round and weightless, above the circle, caught in the point from which the magic flowed from the demon plane to the summoned constructs. The rats froze where they'd been scurrying back and forth with books. They turned suddenly and came back to Tavros unbidden, crawling into his lap where the chalkboard was sitting. Confused, Tavros let them, wanting to see what would happen. They climbed onto the chalkboard, back into their summoning circles. First one, then the other, they pressed their noses to the floating orbs of Tavros's tears and let it wash over their fur, sink into them. He saw a shudder go through them. Then they turned their faces up to him, and Tavros sensed something had changed. There was something more behind their eyes than the vacancy that was normal for summons that were, after all, just moving energy constructs, not living things. The awareness he saw there now was not malicious, merely patient. Waiting. Waiting for orders? Tavros, biting his lip and barely daring to hope, willed one of the rats to turn in a circle. It did so, without a second's hesitation. He'd stumbled into exactly what he was looking for somehow. Many summons required a piece of the summoner in order to bring their energies into alignment. How else could the summoner give them orders? These rats had only needed a bit of saliva. It only made sense really that a bigger piece of Tavros would lead to a bigger connection. He was sure he would have found exactly that in these books if he'd known where to look for it. He wondered how close he could get, and how much it scaled with the power of the summon. If tears were all it took to connect with a class two like these rats, how much of himself would something like the predator cat require? Anything above a class five needed blood to even summon in the first place. What would he have to give something like that to make it bind to him?

There were a thousand questions he wanted answers too, but he would worry about those later. For now he had a mission. He sent the rats out for a few more books while he was here anyway, then climbed back onto the cat and hurried out of the library. Dinner would be ending soon if it hadn't already. If he didn't want to get caught he needed to move quickly.

He had the cat by pass his room on the fourth floor entirely and instead sent it up the stairs to the tower. He would rather brave more stairs now than risk getting caught climbing them later. By the time the cat reached the tower room his torso felt like one big bruise, throbbing painfully, and it was difficult to breathe. Too much activity already today, but there was more to come. At least for now he could rest a little while. He pulled himself into a corner and pulled out the book of named summons, beginning to form his plan.

He took his time planning. He could have spent days on it, if he'd had the time. He knew how dangerous this was, and he was very carefully not thinking about how easily it could end in his death, or even the deaths of everyone here. There was only room in his head for the confidence he told himself he had. He could do this. He had to do this, or else he would never be a summoner. That day in the summoning chamber came back to him like the shadow of a nightmare, making him shudder. He remembered Dualscar's words, echoing in the back of his head, cool and dismissive, as clearly as he could remember the million eyes of the thing he'd nearly summoned staring out at him from a hole to another plane. But he was going to prove the Admiral wrong. He would be a summoner, just as great as his father. But he wouldn't be summoning anything as nightmarish as what Dualscar had shown him. This book was full of summons, some impossibly huge and powerful, others smaller and stranger. He didn't need to summon the strongest demon. As long as it was named it would prove his strength.

He chose one near the center of the book. Though it was difficult to always tell with the strange way the book worded things, it appeared to be one of the weakest. A small spirit newly formed when it was named, with a talent for stealth and obfuscation. He could handle that, he knew he could.

The books he'd had the rats grab in the library were all on circle binding and safety measures to keep powerful summons in check. He couldn't risk this thing getting loose if he wasn't strong enough to control it. He skimmed through them, carefully planning out the sigils and reinforcements he would use. He only wished he could use the summoning circle downstairs with its electrum and silver. That would have made things far easier. But he couldn't risk sneaking down all the way to the basement. He was sure to be caught if he tried.

Around midnight, he began work laying out the circle. From his place in the corner, he guided the rats to do his drawing. It was much easier now that he could simply will them, but it still took some getting used to, and with this he could afford to make no mistakes. He would go back and redo his lines as many times as he needed to in order for this to be perfect.

The moon was shining, full and bright, through the tower window by the time he finished laying out his circle. It was huge, filling the round room almost completely, and densely packed with bindings and reinforcements in two different rings. He'd never written something this complex and it filled him with pride to look at it. He was a summoner, and he was a good one. Now he just had to prove it to everyone else.

He sent the rats down to the summoning chamber to steal the components he'd need. They were rare and expensive and for a moment he almost faltered thinking of the price. But he'd come too far to stop now. He had to charge ahead. The rats made several trips, bringing him black sapphires and the preserved mane of the warhorse of a forgotten king. A branch from an apple tree growing from the grave of star-crossed lovers. A pewter cup filled with rainwater, into which he dropped a moonstone. The strange items piled up, preserved flowers from exotic locales, the bowstrings of soldiers who'd died ignoble deaths. Gradually the rats filled up the center of the circle with shards of blue lightning glass and a china teacup that had last held deadly poison. Tavros looked at the collection of catalysts and realized this was it. There was no going back now. Everything was ready and it was time to begin. He wondered if he should stop. Maybe he should get help, wait for another day to do this. But there wouldn't be another day, he reminded himself. Eridan and Kurloz and the Admiral would all leave tomorrow. And he would be sent back to the farm long before they returned. It was now or never at all.

Tavros crawled to the edge of the circle and, heart racing, he carefully wrote the last piece of script into the circle. The name of the summon, there next to his own. It was long and winding and strange, as all of them had been, but the part he could understand read 'Equius.'

Tavros took a deep breath, heart racing, and began the summoning.

The light burst out from the circle at once, fierce and bright and overwhelming. Unlike the oozing sludge of the one he'd nearly summoned before, this energy crashed and foamed like waves or horse's hooves. Tavros hesitated for a moment, surprised, but he kept going, corralling the wild, powerful energy back towards the center of the circle, back towards the construct he was building on the frame of components there. He was building a shape, but he could feel it stretching and warping already. Most summons were like liquid, taking the shape of whatever they were poured in to. But this already had a shape and refused to be changed. The energy was singing around him, leaping out of the circle like sparks making delicate music that reminded him of stars falling.

The predator cat and then both rats flickered out one at a time, Tavros no longer able to maintain them as he poured his energy into the circle. No, more than poured. It was like he no longer controlled it, like it was being drained out of him into a sucking void. He let it go, because he knew he was close. He could see something rising in the center of the circle, wrapping his flimsy construct around itself like a cloak. It was, for a flickering moment, too vast to comprehend. A massive shadow stretching across the world, smother everything in empty darkness. There were eyes in that emptiness, blue and piercing, and they pinned Tavros with a sharpness and a clarity like being shot with an arrow made of ice. The thing in the circle surged forward all at once.

Tavros cried out as it slammed against the reinforced barriers, falling back onto his hands at the force of the impact. The barriers were as strong as he could make them, but he could feel them collapsing like wet cardboard under the sheer overwhelming force of the thing he had summoned. It bore down on him like an anvil, like the world on the shoulders of Atlas, and Tavros knew he was not strong enough to hold it up. Panic frayed the edges of his vision and his ribs were a siren of pain. He had made a mistake. He'd worked so hard to convince himself he could do this he hadn't considered what would happen if he couldn't. Now, looking into that thing's cold blue eyes, he knew exactly what would happen. Everyone would die. Eridan, the Princess, Kurloz, Aradia. This place would become a silent crater, just a void where life used to be.

He pushed back, an ant trying to hold up a lion, doing everything he could to slow the demon's advance. His will was a thin bronze shield under the weight of a mountain coming down, but he held it up regardless. He couldn't let it happen. He couldn't let all the people who'd ever cared about him die because he was too stubborn to accept what had happened to him. He scrambled for some solution, any way to stop what he'd done. He couldn't shut down the summon if he tried. It wasn't running under his power anymore. As soon as the demon had begun to materialize it had taken the reigns. If only he could reach it, he thought, sobbing as his will began to give way under the torrential force of the demon's power, which howled like a nightmare wind through the tower, shattering windows and tearing the stone and slats from the walls to open them up to the cold midnight air. If only he could speak to it, make it understand why he needed this, why the people here were so important. He remembered the rats, the gift of his tears. But no amount of tears would satisfy something like this. What could he give to it that would be enough? Blood? His legs? He laughed, a little hysterical. Why not? He wasn't using them anymore! If it would stop this, the demon could have them! The demon could have all of him if it meant everyone here would be safe! Tavros, still pushing back against a force as inexorable as gravity, dragged himself forward on his hands, across the circle and into its center, his heart full of fear and desperate hope. As the blue black void engulfed him, everything he'd wanted filled him up and overflowed. He'd wanted so badly to be a summoner. Not even one as good as his father. But just to achieve it, to prove to himself and to everyone that he was not useless, not a failure. He'd wanted friends, and he'd found them, and now he wanted almost nothing as much as he wanted to know they were safe. He wanted the demon to understand him, to hear his desperate fear and relent. He wanted to run again. He wanted a future. He wanted to be happy. He was crying, the tears running fat down his cheeks and lifting off of his skin to float in the strange, roaring void that was the eye of the demon's storm. The blue eyes were watching him, and Tavros held out his arms to them and closed his eyes tightly, shaking and scared but ready to let it end if it meant no one else would suffer for his mistake. He should have died falling from that roof.

The darkness settled around him and for a moment there was stillness and Tavros opened his eyes in confusion. Had it gone away?

It rushed in at once, and the pain was searing, worse than the first time he'd woken up after falling. Every nerve in his body was burning and he wanted to die rather than keep feeling it another second. He could feel a cold hand wrapped around his heart, clutching it as though to tear it out of his chest. But instead it seemed to melt, diffusing into him, cold as ice water, numbing the pain like hypothermia. Thoughts rushed through his head that were not his own, memories of a strange place he'd never seen, an ever shifting endless landscape that he ached to be part of. Confusion and fear and anger. Memories of crying out in his loudest voice and being unheard. A desperate desire to be understood. The burning receded into a painful memory. He was in the tower again, what was left of it, a more natural darkness crowding the edges of his vision as unconsciousness claimed him. Someone was standing over him, someone tall and strange. Someone with blue eyes.

"The bond has been forged, human," Said a voice, low and rumbling like thunder, "Pray that it is not broken."

Dark.

But no pain.

And a sense that, in spite of everything, he would never be alone again.


	6. Chapter 6

The Summoner's Companion Chapter 6

Tavros woke several hours later cold, aching, and confused. He was lying on the floor, but not the floor he'd collapsed on. The bare floorboards of the tower room had been replaced by damp, chilly basement stone. His injured ribs hurt almost more than he could bear. Whatever had happened, the nurse clearly hadn't been around with pain relieving medical magic. With some difficulty, he endeavored to sit up, and heard the clinking of chain when he moved his arm. With some dismay, he raised his right hand to find it shackled, locked to the stone wall behind him. The chain was long enough to allow him to lie on the floor and have his arm held above him at least. But the metal was even colder than the floor and the ache in his wrist was only tolerable in comparison to the screaming throb of his ribs. He sniffled, confusion and fear growing. What was happening?

"You collapsed," a low voice spoke from the opposite corner of the cell and Tavros jumped in surprise, turning to see who had spoken.

At the sight of cold blue eyes, glowing in the dimness of the room, Tavros yelped and struggled to put further distance between them, hampered by his listless legs and the chain on his arm.

"You are wondering what happened, correct?" The thing in the corner spoke again, looming closer out of the darkness, "I am attempting to enlighten you."

It looked, in shape at least, mostly human. From a distance you might even say it was a boy of Tavros's age. Such comparisons became meaningless however once the dark gray blue skin was taken into account, to say nothing of the glowing blue eyes, the horns, which stabbed upwards from his skull into prongs like arrow heads. This was not a human creature, whatever it might have chosen to look like at the moment. Tavros knew those eyes. This was the thing he had summoned. The named demon.

"W-why, why are you, here?" Tavros asked, head spinning as he cowered as far from the demon as the chain would let him, "What's, happening?"

"As I was saying," The beast spoke, its voice low and calm, bringing to mind the hushed darkness of caves unexplored by man, "You collapsed. Others came, alerted by the grandeur of my arrival. They were upset. They brought you here and I, having no choice, followed. This upset them further. I do not believe they expected to see me."

"B-but, why, didn't they banish you?" Tavros asked, baffled, "How, are you here, at all? The summoning, failed!"

"Incorrect," The demon replied, "It was successful. You called. I came. You made your desires very clear."

Tavros laid down again, shaking in fearful confusion and pain from his aching ribs. He closed his eyes, deciding this was some strange dream and soon he would wake up and forget it.

"They did attempt to banish me," The demon continued, "But their attempts failed. I do not believe they have encountered an arrangement like ours before. Regardless, they seemed most concerned that I planned wanton destruction. Much as I would enjoy reducing this place to rubble, our contract prevents me from doing so. When they acknowledged I was destroying nothing and would not be separated from you, they ceased trying to discorporate me and brought us both here."

"C-contract?" Tavros moaned, not looking up from where he was huddled, fetal, in the corner, his arm outstretched at the length of its chain.

"Yes," Said the demon, "Your sacrifice was of unusual strength, but your requests are not difficult. I believe they are in my power to achieve. I am eager to begin, if you are prepared to leave."

"Leave?" Tavros repeated, groaning miserably. Nothing made sense and everything hurt and he just wanted to go home.

"I can remove us from this place at any time," The demon declared, "You need only command me to do so. I can feel your desire to go."

Tavros just groaned again and curled up tighter, miserable and overwhelmed.

"I will need a command in order to take any direct action," The demon continued, sounding slightly impatient, "I can only take the simplest defensive measures without your orders."

Tavros still said nothing, silent but for sobbing.

"Command me, human," The demon insisted, growing aggravated.

When Tavros still did not respond it cracked it long tail hard against the wall, making Tavros jump.

"Do not ignore me," It said threateningly, "We have a deal. You cannot ignore me."

"I don't know, what kind of deal we have!" Tavros wailed through his tears, "I didn't mean, to do anything like that! I just, wanted to show, that I could summon something strong, so they'd let me stay!"

For a long moment the only sound in the cell was Tavros's noisy crying.

"...I see." Said the demon after a pregnant pause, and retreated into the shadows without another word.

It left Tavros to his crying, until eventually Tavros heard footsteps approaching.

"...can't possibly let that thing anywhere near her!" Someone was saying, "It's far too dangerous!"

"If you want to tell her no, be my guest," A familiar voice replied, drawing nearer, "I'm going to do as I'm told and assume our immortal empress knows what she's doing."

A moment later Admiral Dualscar crossed in front of the bars of Tavros's cell, accompanied by a handful of imperial guards and a tall, thin man with a pinched, unpleasant face.

"Good, he's awake," Dualscar said, spotting Tavros in the corner, "Go and get the chair."

He shooed one of the guards off, eyeing the opposite corner of the cell, where the demon still sat, still and silent, watching its summoner.

Tavros did his best to sit up, scrubbing his face, suddenly hopeful. If anyone could help him now it was the Admiral.

"I'll give you this, Nitram," Dualscar said dryly, "You have a talent for finding new and spectacular ways to cause trouble. I'll be honest, I have no idea how you managed this one. Even the royal summoner is stumped."

The thin man sniffed derisively.

"It's a trick of some kind," He said, "Such a shame that even an apprenticeship to you couldn't prevent him from giving in to the criminal inclinations of his peer group. Of course it's only natural that they all turn out this way, given the socio economic pressures of our flawed system. If it were up to me I'd have euthanized them both already. It's the kinder option, really."

"How lucky for all of us then that it's not up to you," Dualscar said, giving the other man an unimpressed look, "If it were so easy I'd have done it myself as soon as I found them. That's no class one phantasm that will just dissipate if you destroy its link. That's a fully materialized demon. It's not dependent on anything to hold its form. Kill the summoner and all you've done is remove the only thing holding it back."

The royal summoner looked flustered and insulted, but seemed to have no rebuttal, at least not before the guard Dualscar had sent away returned with a wheelchair and a sack that clanked ominously.

"Boy," The Admiral called to Tavros, "Come here, to the bars."

The demon made a small noise as though to warn Tavros away, but Tavros obeyed, sniffling as he dragged himself up to the bars in front of the Admiral. The shackle around his wrist was just long enough for him to reach.

"Good, now hold still," the Admiral said, kneeling in front of Tavros. He was pulling something from the bag that the guard had brought along with the chair. Tavros recoiled at first when he saw it was a muzzle, but Dualscar's hand shot through the bars to grab him by the hair and hold him in place as he fastened the muzzle over Tavros's mouth. Tavros was smart enough to realize it was a safety measure, to keep him from issuing orders to his summons, but that didn't stop the panicked fear flailing in his chest that insisted he couldn't breathe, as though breathing weren't already difficult enough when even inhale made his ribs scream with pain.

"Hands next," Dualscar said, brusque and business like, and Tavros offered his shackled wrist awkwardly for the older man to unlock it. Rather than letting it go once the chain fell away, Dualscar pulled Tavros closer, pulling both his hands through the bars to cuff them together. Tavros's fear grew. But they had said they weren't going to kill him. This could still be okay.

"All right, you men ready?" The Admiral asked, looking back at the guards he'd brought with him, who had pulled long metal rods from the bag and were fixing them to strange, silver half circles. When they nodded, Dualscar stood and opened the door of the cell. The guards with their rods stepped forward past Tavros, holding them out towards the demon threateningly. Tavros realized belatedly that they were sections of a summoning circle.

Dualscar bent to pick Tavros up and drop him into the wheelchair unceremoniously. Tavros twisted, despite the pain in his ribs, to look over the back of the chair at the demon still in the cell. As the Admiral pushed Tavros's chair forward, widening the distance between Tavros and the demon, the demon was compelled to move forward. It couldn't leave Tavros's sight until it had received an order to do so apparently. As it moved into the light Tavros saw a sharp toothed snarl of unhappiness on its face and a sheen of sweat on its blue gray skin. As soon as it was far enough away from the wall, the guards cautiously moved to surround it, closing their moveable summoning ring around the demon and infusing it with power. The demon shuddered, but didn't fight back, or ever remove its eyes from Tavros. Tavros noticed for the first time a line of silver laid into the ground around his cell.

The Admiral began pushing Tavros's chair again and Tavros focused ahead of them. Two of the guards not occupied with corralling the demon lifted Tavros's chair to carry him up a set of stairs. As they emerged Tavros realized they were still at Dualscar's estate, merely a part of it he'd never seen. The little dungeon he'd been kept in was part of an outbuilding a good distance from the house. As they proceeded towards the main building Tavros's eyes were drawn to the fourth floor tower and he paled to see it was no longer there. Not a single wall of the tower was still standing. It was like an open wound, a gash in the side of the house. He'd destroyed it entirely. Tavros swallowed hard in fear.

The Admiral wheeled Tavros's chair inside, the demon following placidly behind them, and turned towards the dining hall, the doors of which were under heavy guard. They stepped aside however as Dualscar approached, all of them eyeing the demon behind Tavros warily. The doors opened and Tavros rolled in, heart racing against his aching ribs. He was going to pass out again soon, he thought, if he didn't get some anesthetic medicine.

The dining hall was dark, lit only by a few heavily shuttered lanterns. Tavros had heard rumors that the empress couldn't bear bright light. The tables had been removed, leaving only the Admiral's throne like chair on the dais at the head of the room. There was someone sitting in it, someone enormous and wreathed in shadow. She must have been twice the Admiral's height, though Tavros could see little in the darkness. All he knew was she felt vast and terrifying and incomprehensible. He wished suddenly that he was back in his cell.

"Bring it closer," Came a rich, throaty voice from the huge shape in the shadows. When Dualscar started to signal the guards sheparding the demon forward she hissed in annoyance.

"Not that one, dumbass," She said, "The interesting one."

After a moment of confused hesitation, Dualscar pushed Tavros's chair closer to the empress. She leaned forward in her throne to see him better, her jewelry clinking and glittering in the faint light of the lanterns, but Tavros still couldn't see anything of her but a dark silhouette.

"Look at this lil scrap," She said with a short, sharp laugh, "No way in shell he did this by himself. Who you coverin for, lil fish?"

Tavros, still muzzled, could say nothing.

"Fascinating," The empress said anyway, as though Tavros's silence had been a clever retort.

She spoke with the casual, abrasive dialect that Tavros had heard most of the people on the island speak with growing up. He'd only heard a handful of people use it once he came here however, and they had all been servants and street urchins. It might have been comforting to hear something he so associated with home, were it coming from anyone else. But it felt strange and disingenuous from her mouth. He felt a creeping sense of distrust.

"I and the rest of the royal contingent of summoners are already working on a solution, your imperial majesty," The thin man said, stepping forward, "I guarantee I will have the both of them humanely disposed of within the week."

"I didn't ask you to speak," The empress said, and though her voice was quiet it carried more menace than any six words Tavros had ever heard. The royal summoner paled and stepped quickly back again.

"Besides," The empress said more lightly, sitting back in her throne, "Why would I want to get rid of him? He's the most clam interesting thing I've seen in a whale's age. Could be shella useful too. He's got that thing well in hand, don't he? Look at it sitting pretty over there, quiet as a guppy fart. Ain't you well behaved?"

She addressed the demon for the first time, but it said nothing, only stared back at her silently.

"What's the terms, demon?" The Empress insisted, "What deal you use to hook this boy?"

The demon said nothing at first, then turned his head towards Tavros. Tavros could only shrug, his eyes wide and worried.

"He gave himself to me entirely," The demon answered at last, "In return I am to help him become a great summoner. I own him."

The empress cackled, abrupt and sharp. The shadow of her as she sat in her throne barely moved as she loosed her staccato bark of amusement.

"You got duped, friend," She said to the demon, "He don't own himself to give to you. He belongs to Dualscar. And Dualscar belongs to me. That means you're working for me now, handsome."

The demon said nothing, but Tavros had a feeling demonic contracts didn't work that way.

"You was gonna take him to the front, right?" The empress said after a moment, not taking her gaze from the demon though she was addressing the admiral, "That's what I was luggin the whole entourage out here for, right?"

"Yes, ma'am," Dualscar agreed, "He was intended to accompany myself and the other chosen apprentices to the front, before his accident. It was assumed after he fell that would no longer be possible."

"So you did all this cause you wanted to go on the class trip, kid?" The empress asked Tavros with another stiff laugh, "What a funny little minnow. Take him with you."

"Ma'am?" Dualscar squawked, voice breaking in surprise.

"Well you sure as the tides can't leave him here with a demon like that," The empress said sharply, "And I don't want him destroyed just yet. I wanna see what he can do. Lil fish might just turn out to be useful."

Tavros could tell Dualscar wanted to argue, but he wasn't that stupid. After a moment he bowed, respectfully, his mouth a thin, pressed line of aggravation.

"Yes, your imperial majesty," He agreed, "I will do my best to find a use for him."

"You betta," The empress purred, "I'll be keeping a close eye on this one. Oh, and, if the worst should happen?"

"Yes, your majesty?"

"Try to point him at the enemy."

They wheeled Tavros out of the dining room, and Tavros breathed freely for the first time since they'd entered the room. He imagined he could still feel her eyes on him, like something slimy sliding over his skin. How could someone so terrifying be related to Princess Feferi?

Of course, as soon as he started breathing again, his ribs started hurting again. He wheezed behind the muzzle, slumping in his chair to try and shift his weight away from the aching bone.

"Take him back to the cell," Dualscar instructed the guards, "He can wait there until we leave. I'm still not convinced he's got that thing under control and I don't intend to take chances. And get a doctor in there. The empress will have all our heads if he dies."

The Admiral hurried away, but the royal summoner lingered with the guards a little longer as they began wheeling Tavros away. Once they were around the corner, the thin man caught the arm of the chair, jerking it to a stop so that he could lean in, close to Tavros's face.

"I sincerely advise you to toe the line," He hissed, "In as much as you are physically able, given your condition and your natural inclinations as a person of such ignoble stock. The empress's interest in you is only natural, given her innate magnanimity and wisdom and your own comparatively pathetic existence. But it won't last. Should you survive the front lines which, and I apologize if this upsets you but I must be honest, is not very likely; Her interest will fade. And then I will put you down, both for the safety of others and for the sake of your own pitifully low quality of life. Look forward to it."

With that he turned and swept away, leaving Tavros and the guards surrounding him stunned for a moment.

"Cranky Kankri," One of the guards said after a moment, shaking his head. One of the others laughed, and the conversation turned to idle chatter about the insufferable summoner as they pushed Tavros back to his cell.

A few hours later, having been seen by a doctor and no longer in so much pain, Tavros lay on the floor of his cell, trying to process everything that had just happened.

He'd got his wish, for one thing. He was going to the front with Eridan and Kurloz and Aradia. He was still a summoner. He'd even been able to meet the Empress. It seemed like he'd traded his chance at a long or peaceful life in order to get though. He glanced at the demon in the corner, who hadn't spoken since they'd the meeting with the Empress.

"I guess, this means we're going to be together, a while," Tavros said quietly, wondering if it would answer.

"For a life time," It said at once, "However long that will be."

It was a grim statement and Tavros fell silent again for a while. But he was eight, and scared, and lonely, and so wouldn't ignore his only companion for long.

"Your name is, Equius, right?" He asked.

"That is a butchered but easily pronounced section of my name, yes," The demon replied, "I would not expect a human to be able to remember all of my title. You may call me Equius."

"I'm Tavros," Tavros said.

"I know," Said Equius.

"Equius?" Tavros said, staring up at the stony ceiling of the cell, "Are you, scared?"

"No," Said Equius, "In fact, I am the happiest I have ever been."

Tavros glanced over at the demon's severe expression, frown as immovable as the stone that surrounded them. Maybe his face was just like that.

"You do not need to be afraid either," Equius continued, "I will not allow them to kill us. Your death would prevent me from completing my half of the contract. I do not require your direct orders to defend us from immediate harm."

"I, thought you would want me, to die," Tavros said quietly, "Wouldn't that, set you free?"

"No," Equius replied, and did not elaborate even as the silence stretched on.

"We can still leave this place," Equius said after a moment, "At any time you wish. You only have to command me."

"I wouldn't, know where to go," Tavros answered, "And, I still want to be a summoner, in spite of all of this. If, we left, I don't think that would, ever be able to happen."

"I believe the chances are slim as it stands," Equius replied, "More so than I expected when our bargain was struck. It has been a long time since one of my kind was in your world for more than a moment. Things are... different."

"Different, how?" Tavros asked, curious and glad for the distraction.

"All humans are naturally inferior to demons," Equius replied casually, "But it seems you are regarded as inferior even among other humans. This is most unusual. In the past, anyone who summoned one of my ilk would have to be among humanity's best. That I have been bound to one obviously so low is... distressing."

"I'm not, low," Tavros argued, bothered that even a demon would think he was less just because he was common and dark skinned, "I'm, the same as any of them, really, where it counts. Didn't I prove, I can be just as good as any of them, by summoning you?"

The demon hummed noncommittally, unconvinced. Tavros rolled over to face the wall, frustrated and hurt.

"I'm going to be a summoner," He said, clinging to his determination like a life raft, "I'll prove it to you, and everyone else. I'll put my name in the registry right under my dad's and they'll never be able to say people like me can't do it again."

"It will change nothing," Equius replied, "They will dismiss your family as a lone exception and carry on as they always have."

"Shut up," Tavros grumbled, curling up tighter.

It wasn't much of an argument, but Equius obeyed and remained silent as Tavros listened to the growling of his stomach and tried to sleep.

It had been early morning when he was brought before the empress. It was late afternoon before the rushed preparations for the Admiral's departure were completed. The trip having been delayed so many times, nothing and no one was ready when it was actually time to leave. Especially not with the added complication of the Empress's retinue deciding it would travel with them. Princess Feferi would be going with them only part of the way before departing for the seaside palace. But the Empress hadn't visited the front recently and declared she wished to look out on all she had conquered. She would be traveling with them all the way to the eastern continent.

They took Tavros from his cell when everything was almost done, thankfully not binding or muzzling him this time, although the chair they put him in had both attached in case he should get out of line. He did his best to seem unthreatening. Equius walked beside him, surrounded by the moving binding ring. Tavros wasn't sure it was doing anything to contain him, but he also knew Equius wasn't going to start any trouble unless Tavros asked him to. Hopefully, the guards would realize that eventually as well and stop with the unnecessary precautions.

"Tavros!"

Tavros looked up in confusion at the sound of his own name. They'd been wheeling him towards the caravan out front of the main house where everything was being loaded up to leave. Including, it seemed, the other apprentices. It was Eridan who'd shouted at him. Kurloz was standing beside him and, a little distance apart, Vriska was standing as well, looking at him with something akin to mingled horror and surprise. Eridan, on the other hand, looked jubilant. He rushed towards Tavros, only stopping when the guards stepped between them.

"Get out of the way," He said imperiously, "That's my friend!"

"I'm afraid we can't let you come any closer sir," The guard said apologetically, "Empress's orders. He's dangerous."

Eridan scoffed.

"About as dangerous as a church mouse," He said, "Move."

He shoved past the man with all the determination of an eight year old possessed. The guard might have stopped him, but while they were distracted Kurloz had already slipped past them and was standing by Tavros's chair.

"I thought you were dead!" Eridan said, bending down to hug Tavros despite Tavros's pained wheezing at the pressure on his ribs, "We all heard the tower explode, but no one would tell us what happened! What the heck did you do?"

"Uh, well, I," Tavros said, unsure how to explain. Kurloz was already staring past him at the demon, but Eridan didn't seem to have noticed him yet. Tavros glanced over at Equius and Eridan's eyes eventually followed. He blinked twice in confusion, then his eyes widened.

"That isn't-" He said, "You didn't- Is that what I think it is?"

"His name, is Equius," Tavros said bashfully.

"He's named?!" Eridan asked, voice cracking, "How?! How is he not tearing us all into as many pieces as he did that tower right now!?"

"I, uh, I bound him," Tavros said with a little shrug, "He's, uh, well, I don't really understand all of it myself right now, but, he's kind of, a part of me, now. We have, a deal."

"Well, so long as you have a deal," Eridan said sarcastically, "I guess that's all right then."

Kurloz patted Tavros's shoulder in apparent sincere congratulations, and gave Equius a thumbs up. Tavros had never seen the older boy look so proud. Eridan glared at him in disapproval.

"Tavros this is ridiculous," Eridan said, "Can't you just... get rid of it?"

Tavros shook his head meekly.

"They, tried," He said, "Even, the royal summoner, couldn't banish him. We're, stuck with each other. But, there is good news."

Eridan and Kurloz's eyes both widened expectantly.

"Well, uh, first of all," Tavros said, "They can't kill me, which is good, because, they wanted to. But, they're worried, it'll release Equius, to run rampant, so, I'm kind of safe? And, uh, second, they're letting me, go to the front, with you guys. They, think I'll be, useful."

He smiled a little, almost proud of that thought. He'd never really been useful before.

"That's fantastic!" Eridan said as Kurloz ruffled Tavros's hair, "Especially the not dying thing! But that you get to go with us is amazing too! I mean, it's not the greatest circumstances, but at least you'll be there! I can't wait to tell Aradia, she's going to be so excited you're alive. She wasn't going to come with us after you got hurt, she wanted to stay here with you- oh, messiahs, we're about to leave! She's gonna get left!"

Kurloz was already vaulting across the lawn before the words were all the way out of Eridan's mouth, long legs carrying him in absurd bounds across the grass as he sprinted towards the kitchens.

"Well, come on," Eridan said, "Let's get you and your... weird demon thing... settled in the carriage."

"Excuse me, sir," One of the guards finally interrupted, "The prisoner and his demon are to ride in the back, under guard, for the safety of the rest of the passengers."

"I think you'll find, actually, that he's not," Eridan said, giving the guard a look of disdain that would have rivaled even one of his father's best scowls, "Or would you like me to go and get the princess to tell you herself how very wrong you are?"

Tavros grinned, feeling like his chest was full of helium. He still couldn't get over how lucky he was to have friends like Eridan and Kurloz and Aradia. He didn't deserve one of them, let alone all three.

Eridan took the handles of Tavros's chair and pushed him on and, unsure who they answered to in this situation, the guards followed helplessly as he took Tavros to the grand carriage the apprentices were sharing. Vriska was not in it, to Tavros's relief, though he couldn't help wondering where she'd vanished to. Eridan had the guards load Tavros into the carriage and stow his chair somewhere else. Then the complicated issue of what to do with Equius was reached. The guards were still standing by him, keeping him surrounded by the moving summoning circle, and despite Eridan's insistence, would neither hand over their duties to Eridan nor release the demon. And they certainly wouldn't fit in the carriage with Tavros, Eridan, Kurloz, and Equius on top of everything else.

"Equius," Tavros asked at last, just to end the argument, "Those, uh, the circle thing. Is it, doing anything to you? I mean, is it holding you back, at all?"

"Command me to demonstrate their effectiveness," Equius ordered bluntly, "Order me."

Tavros shifted a bit uncomfortably, but agreed.

"Okay, uh, I order you to, uh, give a, small, very small, demonstration, of the effectiveness, uh, of the moving summoning circle thing, without, hurting anyone, please."

Without hesitation, Equius reached out and bent both half circles ninety degrees with barely a touch. The guards dropped them immediately with a comical yelp.

"That was, uh, a good demonstration," Tavros said, in case Equius tried to keep going, "Thank you, Equius. So, um, as you can see, those are really, not necessary. I think, we'll be fine, actually? So long as I don't, um, order him to do anything, stupid."

The guards, at their limit, gave up and fled to go ask Dualscar how to proceed. In the meantime, Equius climbed into the carriage and took the seat next to Tavros in silence.

Eridan, a little warily, climbed in after.

"You promise you really have control of that thing, right?" Eridan asked, eyeing Equius mistrustfully.

"I am not a thing," Equius replied before Tavros could, "I am a being superior to you in every conceivable way. And he does not control me. We have a deal. Which involves me following his orders. Your safety in particular was an explicit part of the contract. You have nothing to fear from me."

"Well," Eridan said, scooting a little further away from Equius, "That does answer that."

A few minutes later, Kurloz returned and climbed into the carriage. Aradia followed him in a flurry of dark hair in order to throw herself at Tavros, hugging him tightly.

"I can't believe you're alive!" She said, nearly sobbing with relief, "And you're coming with us! Kurloz was signing so fast I didn't understand half of it. Something about a demon? Is that it? I don't even care I'm just so glad you're okay! And think about the things we're going to see together!"

Tavros, slightly embarrassed, explained everything to her as she settled into the carriage. Tavros, Equius, and Kurloz took one side while Eridan and Aradia sat on the other. There was an empty seat that should have been Vriska's, but as the carriage started moving she had yet to reappear. Tavros assumed she must have found a seat somewhere else on the caravan. He couldn't imagine she would have cared for the company in this one. As Tavros talked to Aradia, Equius maintained his usual silence. It was strangely easy to forget he was there, for all that he was a blue, horned demon. He melted into the shadows and out of conscious thought with incredible ease. Tavros imagined it must be part of the 'secrecy and obfuscation' part of Equius's description in the book of named summons. If you weren't thinking actively about him, he ceased to exist, in a way. But Tavros kept an eye on him, not thinking it would be wise to forget there was a demon in the carriage, or kind to ignore someone who was so connected to him now. Most every time he glanced up at the demon from his conversation with the other apprentices, he found Equius staring at Aradia with a strange expression on his face. Tavros was tempted to ask what the demon was thinking, but he had a feeling it might be better to ask that in private.

Eridan was appalled at how Tavros had been treated since the summoning. Aradia was outraged that Tavros hadn't asked for their help. Kurloz just kept beaming proudly, like Tavros was his baby brother who'd just summoned his first class one. He and Aradia had apparently been working out a series of hand signals to help him communicate more easily, but according to Aradia he still avoided using them when he could. He seemed to think it was defeating the purpose of his vow of silence. Tavros supposed he could understand that, but it was good to know they could communicate with him at least a little now. Though, at the same time, Tavros suspected he would never be entirely certain of Kurloz's motivations for anything.

"So what do you think this means," Eridan asked eventually, gesturing vaguely in Equius's direction, "For the future, I mean. Can you go on being an apprentice with something like that chained to you? Can you still summon?"

"I, think I can," Tavros said with a frown, "I haven't, tried yet, but, I've, had him summoned for, uh, more than a day now, and I don't feel tired, or drained. I don't think, he needs my energy, to maintain himself, the way most summons do. Or, at least, what he needs is so little I haven't noticed. I think, I could still summon other things."

"Once we're on the ship, maybe we could try something small," Eridan suggested, "Just to see."

"I'm sure you'll still be able to," Aradia said with a grin, "I've never heard of anyone being able to hold a named summon like this. Even the masters only ever hold them in their circles for a few minutes. That you've materialized him fully and he's not rampaging through the country side has got to make you the greatest summoner who ever lived!"

Tavros turned abruptly scarlet.

"N-no, no way," He said, shaking his head, "I just, stumbled into this. It was, mostly accidental. I got, lucky, is all. I barely, know anything..."

"Greatest summoner who ever lived," Aradia repeated, "I'm calling it now. You're going to change the world, Tavros."

"At the very least you're going to change the course of the war," Eridan agreed, "I can't even imagine what that thing will be able to do when you set it loose in battle."

Tavros felt Equius shift uncomfortably beside him, echoing his own unsettled feelings at Eridan's words.

"I'm, not sure I should," He said, "I mean, uh, give him an order, like that. Aren't, most demons, all about finding the loophole, in your orders, so they can run around, destroying stuff? Maybe, I should avoid giving him, uh, violent orders?"

"That's a good point," Aradia agreed, "It could be too dangerous to give him any orders."

"What? So you just want him to go to waste?" Eridan asked, offended, "That thing is an incredible resource. If you don't use him what's the point?"

"The point is not giving him a chance to turn on us," Aradia said bluntly, "You're so reckless, you never think about the consequences!"

Tavros tuned them out as they started arguing, looking up at Equius instead, finding he was strangely worried about how the demon was taking this frank discussion of his usefulness and potential for treachery. Equius's expression was carefully blank and Tavros could read nothing from it. But perhaps he was wrong to even be worried. Demons weren't the same as humans after all. They didn't feel things the same way. It was possible this didn't bother him at all.

Summons, the constructs filled with energy that most summoners created, only ever had a single desire. Usually it was something simple, like the stage one constructs he and his brother had made as children, which only wanted to fly towards the light. The stronger the construct, the more complex the desire. But there was only ever the one aspect to its identity, and that desire was something the summoner either fostered (if for example they were creating a combat summon and the summon's natural desire was to destroy things) or overwrote with a desire of their own. Demons were a part of the demonic plane that gathered together, all of it wanting the same thing hard enough to become, temporarily, solid and separate from the rest of the plane. Then the ancient sorcerers had trapped them like that. So that must mean Equius, and all demons, had a driving desire the same as any construct. Probably a very complex one, considering how powerful they were. But it was still just a single desire, a single trait in an otherwise stagnant shell. They weren't like humans who could want many things and change those desires any time. Or at least, Tavros didn't think they were. Equius probably wasn't capable of being hurt by Aradia and Eridan's words. He'd mentioned being happy earlier, but that might have just been a figure of speech. Or maybe moving towards whatever his driving desire was really did make him happy. Tavros found himself hoping he could be alone with Equius again soon and really talk to him about these things, now that he wasn't so scared. He wanted to learn everything he could.

The caravan of carriages took them away from Dualscar's country home and back towards the capitol city. Tavros, looking at the tall buildings and spires approaching, found himself thinking of his brother. Had Rufioh ever received his message? Was he looking for Tavros in the capitol now? What would he do when he found out Tavros was going to the eastern continent? He wondered if his father, far away on the island, had heard about Tavros's accident yet. He wondered if anyone would tell him about what Tavros had done.

"Um, Eridan?" He asked suddenly, "Can I, uh, do you have, any stationary?"

"Yes of course," Eridan said, "Any proper socialite should always be ready for letter writing. Or so says my father. Why?"

"I, uh, I was hoping, I could write a quick letter to my dad," Tavros said, a little embarrassed, "I haven't, written to him since the accident. I want him, to know what happened."

"We'll be at the docks soon," Eridan warned, already digging in his bag to hand Tavros a beautiful glossy sheet of illuminated stationary and a pencil, "You'll have to write fast if you want to send it before we depart."

"Thank you," Tavros said gratefully, and fumbled for a moment before Kurloz handed him the little slate Tavros had been using to do his small summons on a few days before. Tavros blinked at in surprise, wondering where Kurloz had found it, then smiled at the other boy warmly.

"I'll, try to be quick," He said, "I just, don't want to leave him, in the dark."

He wrote carefully in spite of the need to hurry, the jostling carriage making it difficult to keep his letters legible. But they were already in the city. It would take maybe a half an hour to get everything loaded before they needed to leave. That would be just enough time for Tavros to find someone to send his letter, so he had to finish writing it before they stopped. So he kept things simple.

"Dad," The letter read, "You may hear about it before this gets to you. Some things happened. I'm okay. I got hurt but I'll be all right. I'm still going to be a summoner. I summoned something big. You may hear about that too. I'm going to the battle front on the eastern continent with the Admiral and his best apprentices. I'm one of those, best apprentices, I mean. I'm going to do good and I hope you'll be proud, in spite of what's happened. I'm not going to give up. Love, Tavros."

When the carriage stopped, it was early evening, the sun nearly set. Eridan took the letter to go find someone to send it, promising he'd pay for it and telling Tavros to stop being so silly when he objected.

Meanwhile, Kurloz and Aradia helped Tavros out of the carriage and found his chair again. Equius, as usual, drifted quietly behind, for the most part unnoticed. The ship they were boarding was huge, even bigger than the one the Admiral had brought to pick up Tavros from the island. It was a warship, heavy and intimidating and heavily armed. There would be armada summoners on board as well as regular soldiers and sailors. The Admiral met them near the gangplank, carefully not looking at Tavros.

"Where is my idiot son?" He asked, "Did his incredible foolishness in allowing a treacherous prisoner and an unrestrained demon to ride in the carriage with him get him eaten on the way here?"

"No, sir," Tavros answered, "He just, uh, had to mail a letter. He'll be back, soon."

"Pity," Dualscar growled, and Tavros almost thought he meant it, "I hope you enjoyed the ride, because it's the last time you'll be wandering unrestrained while under my command. You and that thing are a danger, and you will be treated like it. You'll be spending the voyage in the brig under constant guard, muzzled except during meals. You will-"

"Admiral!" Came a cheerful voice, and Dualscar swiveled quickly to bow in respect as Princess Feferi all but skipped towards them, Eridan a step behind her. He winked at Tavros conspiratorially.

"Oh, good, are you telling everyone where they'll be staying?" The princess asked, as bubbly and bright as champagne, "I do hope mister Nitram's room isn't too far from mine and mothers. She's most excited about him you know. Wants him treated well."

She gave Dualscar a hard look behind her sweet smile. Tavros had a feeling it was more the princess behind this than her mother, but the Admiral couldn't say so without challenging the princess and endangering his own position. He huffed angrily through his nose.

"The princess does of course realize the danger he and his uncontrolled summon pose," Dualscar said diplomatically, "She wouldn't make the mistake of allowing such a severe physical threat to herself and her imperial mother to wander freely unless she truly understood the risks?"

"The 'uncontrolled' summon is standing right there," Feferi said with a smile, "And from what I've been told it's barely done anything since mister Nitram bound it, let alone anything that would make it seem a threat. Mister Nitram seems to have it entirely in hand. And if I'm very honest, Admiral, threatening the summoner that demon has been charged to protect seems like the far more risky move to me."

Tavros almost thought he could see a flush on Dualscar's cheeks. He didn't think the man had ever had his authority challenged so many times in one day. He cast Tavros an icy glare and Tavros's heart sank as he realized the man had officially decided Tavros was a personal threat to him again. That would not make this trip easier.

"Very well, your highness," The Admiral said, his words crisp with tension, "I will ensure you and all the apprentices, mister nitram included, are housed near one another. You and your mother's rooms are in the stern. Please allow me to show you both there myself."

"You may show me there," Feferi said with a warm smiled, unbothered by the older man's frostiness, "My mother will board the ship in her own time, as she always does."

"Of course," The Admiral replied, unsurprised but annoyed, "Please follow me."

The apprentices fell in behind the princess, followed by a host of servants, mostly the princess's, carrying her luggage. Aradia was grudgingly carrying Eridan's lightest bag as part of her cover. She was now officially employed as Eridan's personal maid. She was not thrilled with this, but it had at least allowed her to come with them, and neither Tavros nor Kurloz would let him get away with harassing her too much. It seemed to Tavros, though tension remained between them, they'd grown closer while he was injured and developed a kind of reluctant respect for one another. They may have only tolerated each other for Tavros's sake, but it seemed they were no longer so at odds that Tavros would need to worry about keeping them off each other's throats.

The Admiral led them on to the deck of the ship and Tavros touched Kurloz's hand to stop the older boy pushing his chair, so that he could pause and stare in thrill of wonder at the bustle of activity that was the upper deck. Crewmen rushed in the final preparations for the launch and the deck was strung with bright lanterns like gems on a necklace to illuminate their work. The ocean was a glittering plane of shattered black glass shifting and reflecting the silver blue light of the moon above them. It was frigidly cold, Tavros's breath a ghost before him, but he barely noticed. Kurloz, significantly thinner than Tavros and having apparently forgotten to wear a winter coat, was feeling the wind far more acutely, and tapped Tavros's shoulder to hurry him on. Tavros nodded, embarrassed, and they proceeded, hurrying to catch up with the others. Equius lingered a moment longer on deck, staring up at the moon. He breathed in the cold air deeply, seemingly unbothered by the chill though he wore as little as when Tavros had first summoned him. Had Tavros seen him there he might have wondered if Equius were about to take off, fly into the light of the moon like those butterflies so long ago. But after a moment Equius only turned away and followed his summoner down below the deck and in to whatever strange future awaited them both.


	7. Chapter 7

The admiral showed the little group of guests down into the ship to the guest quarters at the stern. Dualscar often entertained other high ranking officers on his ship, and had the rooms installed for that reason. Warships rarely had such spaces. But the Admiral's flagship, the 'Hand of the Empress' was the second largest and grandest in the entire fleet, falling short only of the glory of 'The Golden Helm,' the Empress's personal ship, which was the biggest and most spectacular ship in the known world.

The guest quarters lay along a single narrow, windowless passage. The Admiral's broad shoulders brushed the walls on both sides as he swept down it towards the very end.

"The largest rooms are these two at the end," He said, gesturing to the final two doors, "The right shall belong to the Princess, and the left to me, as her imperial majesty will be staying in my quarters."

Tavros would have expected the Admiral to sound annoyed by this fact, but there was not a trace of irritation in his voice. Instead, he seemed both flattered and frightened by the Empress's invasion of his personal space. He turned back, where the apprentices huddled in a single file line, and gestured to two doors behind them.

"Eridan, you'll be there with Makara," The Admiral continued, "Your 'maid' can share with Serket, should she ever choose to show her face."

"Oh, good," Aradia said with a sharp toothed grin. Tavros briefly felt sorry for Vriska.

"And you, boy," Dualscar said, nodding to Tavros where he stood at the back of the group, "You and your mistake will have the room at the end all to yourselves, which will hopefully mitigate the damage you will inevitably cause."

Tavros was just grateful he wouldn't be sharing with Vriska.

"Speaking of which," The Admiral continued, speaking to them all again, "You and all non-essential personnel are confined to your quarters until the Empress is aboard and the ship is underway. Get in and get settled, it'll likely be another half hour. Once we're safely out of port, dinner will be served. Your royal highness, you and my son are invited to dine with me. The rest of can eat in the galley, with the crew. Now hurry and get out of the way. I have to go drag Serket in by her ear apparently."

They stepped out of the way to let the Admiral pass and watched him until he disappeared up the stairs.

"Well then," Princess Feferi broke the silence once he was gone, "If we're to be confined for now, we might as well do so together. Come along."

She opened the door to the cabin that had been assigned to her and the apprentices followed her in, all of them curious what a princess's room would look like. They were all disappointed of course, as the room had not been decorated to Feferi's tastes, which Tavros had a feeling would involve far more pink. Though the room itself was fairly large, it was decorated simply. A large bed filled the far corner, cocooned by thick velvet curtains. Comfortable armchairs and a coal brazier all bolted to the floor made a cozy sitting area. There was also a small table and chairs for taking tea or breakfast. There was but one real piece of decor, and that was a painting hung above the armchairs, which featured the 'Hand of the Empress' itself and of course the Admiral, standing astride its deck. Tavros was not surprised that Dualscar would hang pictures of himself in his guest rooms, though he had expected it to feature the Admiral more prominently.

"So what's this about being locked in until the empress boards?" Aradia asked curiously as they settled into Feferi's room, "Is that normal?"

Feferi and Eridan settled into the arm chairs near the fire, Eridan lifting the mesh guard over the pan to stir the coals to more life. Tavros, Aradia and Kurloz took the chairs at the breakfast table. Equius, mostly forgotten by everyone in the room, stood silent sentinel in a shadowed corner.

"Oh yes, very," Feferi confirmed, snuggling into her chair with a smile, "The empress despises being seen. She says it would ruin her air of mystery. I myself have never seen her in full light."

"You've never seen your own mother?" Aradia asked, sympathy in her voice, but Feferi didn't seem in the least bit bothered by it. She shrugged, smiling.

"Not even once!" She replied, "The palace servants had no idea she was pregnant until she handed me off to them, only a day or two old. No one has the faintest idea who my father could be. But then, the empress has always been secretive, even back when the empire was first formed."

Tavros frowned in confusion, puzzled by her wording. He'd heard people phrase it that way more than once, as though the current empress and the first empress were the same.

"Has she really, been alive that long?" Tavros asked, "She can't, possibly, be the same empress who conquered all of Alternia centuries ago?"

"She is," Feferi replied matter-of-factly, "She's quite an accomplished magician in her own right, you know. She's used her magic to extend her life."

"I suppose it must seem strange to commoners," Eridan said, seeing Tavros and Aradia's puzzled looks, "But her steady, unchanging leadership is what has made this empire so great. Other kingdoms have to go through a big messy exchange of power every generation or so and there's always a big violent kerfuffle over who gets to inherit and it's just a mess. Our way is much better."

"And it means I get to be a princess forever!" Feferi said with a giggle, "That's certainly nothing to be upset about!"

Tavros was not so sure. Something about that just didn't sit right, but he wasn't sure how or how to explain his misgivings to Eridan and Feferi, who seemed perfectly at peace with the situation. Aradia's scrunched nose and narrowed eyes hinted that she might be similarly troubled, but she remained silent, presumably as lost as he was. Kurloz's opinion on the matter was, as always, inscrutable, staring into the fire with his fixed, stitched in grin.

"You know," Feferi said suddenly, her smile turning mischievous, "I think we could see the gangplank through that window. Maybe we'd be able to see her boarding?"

"You really think so?" Eridan said, leaning forward in his chair excitedly, "It's driving me crazy that Tavros has seen her and I haven't."

"I didn't really, see her," Tavros mumbled, "Just kind of, uh, the shape of her. She was just, a shadow in the dark, really. And also, I was really preoccupied at the time, because I thought she was going to have me, uh, killed."

Aradia was already at the window. There were two in Feferi's room. One looked out of the stern of the ship, the other along its port side.

"I don't think we'll be able to see much," She said, Eridan and Feferi already hurrying to join her, "The glare on the glass from the fire makes it hard to see through at all, and I can barely make out the gangway."

Kurloz, who'd been following Tavros as they made their way more slowly to the window, turned back at once to drop a lid over the brazier, snuffing most of the light from the room.

"Ooh, good idea, sir Makara!" Feferi said, clapping in excited approval, and hurried to close the slats on the lanterns that still illuminated the room.

Once the lights were out the window became clear, the night a glittering winter clarity over the cities dark port. There were still some lights in distant windows, but any within sight of the docks had been doused and shuttered against the empress's passing.

By pressing their cheeks to the frosty glass and looking back along the length of the ship, they could see the slope of the board leading up to the deck of the ship.

"Look, there she is!" Eridan said, practically bouncing against the glass.

Sure enough, Tavros saw a dark shape, tall and strange, moving up the street and on to the gangway.

"Who, are those people, with her?" Tavros whispered, a weird cold fear gripping his heart as he saw the four thin, small figures walking in the empress's shadow.

"Her favored servant-consorts," Feferi replied, "I saw one, once. I'm told they're slaves from a faraway land, and they're blind, so they can never tell anyone what she looks like."

"What did it look like?" Eridan asked curiously, "Was it really blind?"

"I only saw it for a moment," Feferi said, "I was lost in a part of the summer palace I should not have been in, when he (I think it was a he) appeared from behind a door carrying a tea set. He was so surprised to see me he dropped it, and all at once forgot I was there entirely. I don't believe he was entirely right in the head. He kept mumbling in a language I didn't understand and trying to put the teapot back together, scraping at the pieces no matter how his fingers bled. He had terrible scars."

Feferi shivered a little, the first time Tavros had seen her show any emotion besides delight and charming politeness. But a moment later she was smiling again.

"I got scared and ran away!" She said with a laugh, "I was only little. The poor ragged thing gave me nightmares for weeks. Now that I'm older I only feel sorry for it. My mother must have saved it from some awful fate, but I imagine there's only so much even she can do."

While she had been speaking, the strange silent procession had continued up the plank towards the ship, moving slowly. Not a one of the figures carried a light.

"Oh, look, she's stopped!" Eridan said in surprise, drawing their attention back to the dark procession.

The tallest figure had indeed gone still, halfway up the gangplank. It shifted, and though it was far away, Tavros was certain her head was turning, turning to look at the little cluster of children staring at her through a cold window.

An instant later, all the lights in the room suddenly flared to life. The lanterns opened wide and the lid came of the brazier, which flared into overwhelming brightness. At the same time, Tavros felt a hand on his arm and the back of his chair which yanked him back away from the window sharply. His yelp of fear was lost in the dismayed cries of the others as their view of the empress was obscured by the glare of the lights on the glass.

Tavros had never yet touched Equius before this. The demon's hand, not so much larger than his own, remained gripping his forearm as Tavros stared up at Equius. The demon's skin was piercingly cold, like touching ice with a bare hand. He froze in anticipatory terror of whatever rule had been broken to allow the demon to act on its own. But it only stared down at him, silent and unmoving.

"Did it do that?" Eridan asked, blinking and rubbing his light dazzled eyes, "Tavros, did your demon turn up the lights?"

"Why the heck would it do that?" Aradia asked, similarly dazed and annoyed, "You didn't order it to."

"I am allowed to take minimal defensive action if myself or my summoner is in immediate danger," Equius spoke before Tavros could, and his voice, usually chilly and implacable, seemed to Tavros's ears touched by a hint of fear.

A worried hush fell over the room. They had all quite forgotten Equius was there until just this moment, and to be so suddenly reminded there was a demon in the room only for it to inform them they were or had been in immediate danger was severely disconcerting. Tavros mastered enough courage to pull his arm free of Equius's grip. He huddled, worried, in his chair.

"A-anyway," Feferi said, trying to lighten the mood, "I think she's probably aboard now. Who wants to play a game until dinner? I have checkers!"

Everyone was eager for the distraction and the change in subject, but though Feferi did her best to occupy them with cards and board games, no one could quite find the chipper mood they'd been in before, and everyone's glances continually wandered back to Equius in fearful concern.

After a time, they felt the ship begin to move and realized they must be underway. The dark port soon vanished from Feferi's window and was replaced by open sea, and soon after a dinner bell was rung.

"Splendid," Feferi said, and there was relief in her voice, "Let's all go and eat. A good meal will help us all settle in."

She led the little party out of her quarters and up the stairs to the deck, Aradia and Kurloz helping Tavros and his chair with the steps, which Tavros anticipated would be a perpetual problem during the journey. He'd have to think of some way to deal with it, or else be more or less trapped in his room the entire voyage.

On the main deck they parted ways, Eridan and Feferi off to find the Admiral, Tavros, Aradia, and Kurloz heading down towards the galley, again encountering difficulties with Tavros and the stairs. They were being very patient with him for now, but Tavros had a feeling it wouldn't be long before this became too much of an annoyance for them. Tavros could sense that annoyance growing as they reached the galley and were swiftly stopped by a crewman, who informed them Tavros wasn't allowed in, the men being too suspicious of his demon. The man handed a prepared meal to Aradia without looking at Tavros, and told him he could eat in his room.

Aradia had thrown a fit, declaring it absurd and telling the crewman to suck it up and stop being scared of an eight year old, but the man hadn't budged, not even under the weight of Kurloz's most intimidating glare. Eventually they'd given up, and Aradia and Kurloz had dragged Tavros and his chair back up and then down the stairs again into the cabin hall.

"We'll see you after dinner I guess," Aradia said, clearly uncomfortable with leaving him, "I'm sure after a little bit they'll see you're not dangerous and they'll let you eat with everyone else."

Tavros just nodded, suddenly not sure he had the energy to eat anyway.

Aradia hugged him and Kurloz ruffled his hair and then they both hurried off, leaving Tavros, his tray balanced on his lap, to roll back to his room.

His door was near the stairs, so he hadn't far to go, but as he reached for it a door across the hall opened and Vriska emerged. Tavros had hesitated, frozen by the sight of her, and she went similarly still, her eyes wide. Tavros had almost started to think she hadn't made it on to the ship. Now he guessed she must have just been avoiding him.

Vriska recovered from her surprise first and drew herself up into the most imposing, disdainful posture she could manage, a hand on her hip, looking down her nose at him as he sat in his chair.

"So I heard my encouragement worked," She said archly.

"Encouragement," Tavros repeated, trying not to cower though the site of her made every part of him want to flee, "By that, do you mean, trying to murder me?"

"I wasn't trying to murder you," Vriska responded with a scoff, "Don't be so melodramatic. It's unattractive. I was just trying to help you get over your hang-ups and live up to your potential. And it worked, didn't it? You summoned a named demon and everything."

"You pushed me, off a roof," Tavros said quietly, "I can't walk."

"Yeah, you should really be thanking me," Vriska continued, ignoring him, "You probably would have chickened out of going entirely if I hadn't pushed you to prove yourself. You know you wouldn't have had the guts to go out on a battlefield before I helped you."

"I'm, not going to thank you," Tavros said, hunching down in his chair and looking for an exit, "You're, a bully, and probably crazy."

"I am NOT crazy," Vriska snarled, her false preening suddenly replaced with genuine anger, "Take it back. Say I'm not crazy, now."

Tavros shrank further into his chair, suddenly afraid she was about to finish what she'd started on the roof. Before she could do anything however, Equius stepped quietly forward to stand behind Tavros's chair. He'd been there the entire time, as he always was, easily overlooked, easily forgotten. He put a hand on Tavros's chair and focused his solemn, stony expression on Vriska. Her lip twitched, but she hid her anger again and stepped back.

"Whatever," She said dismissively, "See if I help you again. You're going to need me once the ship lands and you realize what a worthless coward you are."

She stomped off, leaving Equius and Tavros alone in the hall. Tavros found his door and rolled his chair inside, glad he had the space to himself. It was, without a doubt, a storage closet into which someone had shoved a cot. There was only a foot or two of space to the right of the bed. Not enough to wheel his chair into. He sat in the doorway, contemplating his luck.

"I could get rid of her, if you wished," Equius said behind him, "It would be very easy for me. She is the one that damaged you, correct? It would be only natural for you to seek revenge."

Tavros was shaking, still trying to calm down just from seeing her again. The last moments on the roof kept playing over in his head. The look on her face, the ground rushing up towards him. He shook his head violently to try and clear it.

"No, no I don't, want that," He said to Equius, "She's... she's just a brat. I don't think, she really believes half, the things she says. She just wants, to look tough."

"If you change your mind," Equius said, "I am always at your command."

Tavros was silent for a long moment, then looked up at Equius thoughtfully.

"Could you," He asked quietly, not able to meet the demon's eye, "Could you...lift me, out of this chair?"

Equius hesitated for a moment.

"I am not sure that would be wise," He said, and Tavros could see sweat on his forehead, "I do not believe your frail human form would be able to withstand my touch. I am exceptionally strong."

"Oh," Tavros said thoughtfully, "Um, then, maybe you could just, uh, pick up the chair and kind of, uh, dump me?"

He shrugged hopefully. Equius eyed the chair's metal frame and nodded. He reached for the chair at once and Tavros held his hands up.

"Wait, wait wait!" He said, "The food!"

Equius paused and Tavros leaned down to gingerly place the tray of food on the floor. As soon as it was secure Equius grabbed the frame of the chair near the wheels and hefted Tavros into the air, making him yelp in surprise. Equius raised the chair over the bed and tipped it, sliding Tavros out onto it in a heap. He tumbled face first into the sheets, his legs a tangle beneath him. He heard at the same time an ominous crunch and looked up from the pillows to see Equius had set the chair down again on top of his dinner. The demon made no apologies.

"That's all right," Tavros sighed, "I wasn't, that hungry anyway."

He rolled over and reached down to carefully straighten out his limp, unresponsive legs, then flopped back onto his pillow tiredly. Equius stood near the bed, watching him.

It was the first time since the cell they'd really been left alone together. Tavros found himself staring back at the demon thoughtfully. As frightened as everyone else was of Equius, so far the demon had done nothing to indicate he was dangerous. He hadn't done much at all really but lurk around behind Tavros in silence. That and show a sincere interest in protecting Tavros. Tavros hadn't been sure what to make of the demon's assurances that he wanted Tavros alive before, but he seemed to be proving it. The only question continued to be what did he want in return?

Tavros stared at the demon, acutely aware that he was alone with something very dangerous. Equius stared back, blue eyes glowing dimly in the darkness of the narrow cabin. There was a small porthole above the bed that let in faint moonlight, just enough to highlight Equius's shape in the darkness. Tavros wondered if he would just stand there staring all night. Did demons sleep? Would they need to share the bed? He couldn't bring himself to ask. But neither could he simply go to bed now with the demon hovering over him like that. The ruined tray of his dinner sat beneath the wheel of his chair, reminding him he hadn't had a real meal since lunch the day before he summoned Equius. Eridan and Aradia had shared snacks with him on the carriage ride to the ship but he'd really been looking forward to food regardless. Minutes ticked by in silence as Tavros contemplated his hunger and did nothing.

It was, to his surprise, Equius who broke the silence.

"Would you perhaps," The demon asked, "Care to talk?"

"About, what?" Tavros replied, cautious.

"Anything," Equius said, "I'm sure even your feeble human mind can manage a conversational topic or two."

"Are you, lonely?" Tavros asked, frowning thoughtfully as he looked up at the demon.

Equius didn't answer. He seemed to be regretting offering to talk at all.

"...what is our, contract?" Tavros asked at last, a little worried he didn't want to know the answer, "What, did I give you?"

"You gave me everything," Equius replied, "You sacrificed your entire self to bind me to this plane."

There was a moment of long silence as Tavros contemplated that frankly terrifying revelation, before Equius seemed to acknowledge he hadn't answered the full question and continued.

"In return, I also gave my full self to you," He said at length and with an air of embarrassment, "I was not aware then of the circumstances of your summoning me, or how lowly a creature you would turn out to be. Regardless, you own all of me in as much as I own all of you. We are for all intents and purposes one soul, one being."

Tavros could remember, at least in part, throwing himself into the ring in hopes of satisfying the demon before it hurt his friends. But to hear that the demon had made an equal sacrifice was a surprise. He couldn't even begin to process the thought that they were a single soul. What did that even mean?

"But, there was more to it, right?" Tavros said, "You said before, that I bargained for things, and that they were things you could do."

"You did," Equius agreed, "You offered the sacrifice and presented your wishes to me. I found they aligned with my own, so I accepted your offer."

"And what, are your wishes?" Tavros asked, "What, am I supposed to do for you?"

Equius was silent, but he was sweating despite the chill in the room.

"Equius?" Tavros said, eyebrows furrowed in concern, "What, did you wish for?"

"Is that," Equius said slowly, and Tavros thought he might be gritting his teeth, "An order?"

Tavros chewed his lip, considering it for a moment, then nodded stiffly.

"Yes, I think," He said nervously, "I, um, I order you to tell me, what my half, of the deal is."

Equius remained silent for another long moment, fighting the order, then finally spoke, the words broken and forcing themselves between his lips.

"I wanted to be understood," The demon ground out, "I wanted not to be alone. I wanted to escape the void. I would have accepted any summoner who called me, and you offered me not only escape, but near permanent freedom. Every moment I am here, being seen and spoken to, you are fulfilling your part of the deal."

Tavros turned on to his side in the bed, looking at Equius strangely.

"That's, really it?" Tavros asked, "It seems, too simple."

"If you had experienced the void," Equius replied, "You would understand the weight of what you offer me."

"The void?" Tavros asked, "Is that, uh, is that the demonic plane?"

Equius shook his head and was silent for a moment, searching for the words.

"What do you know of that place," Equius said, "What you call the demonic plane? What is it, in your estimation?"

Tavros frowned, unsure how to reply.

"It's, uh, it's another dimension," He said, "A world, outside this one, that's filled with energy."

"Then you do not understand it," Equius said, blue eyes glittering in the dark, "It is not simply filled with energy. It is an entity. A sentient universe, containing nothing but itself. Can you even conceive of what it is to be part of something like that? To know that kind of peace? There has never been a war in that place. Never a moment of strife or unhappiness. It knew nothing of those things until humans introduced them. I was a part of that great unending peace, and I was all of it, because there was no distinction, no individuals, just a single vast soul in endless harmony."

Equius was right, Tavros couldn't imagine it. There was no way he could understand something so strange.

"It sounds, nice?" He ventured, hoping that was the right thing to say.

"Nice is not the word for it," Equius replied, voice clipped and bitter, "It simply was, and was right, and was all I had ever experienced. Until it was taken from me. Until your people separated me from the whole and trapped me this way. There is no time in that place, not unless your people inflict it, like a wound. From the moment they sealed me, I always had been and always would be this way. An eternity of completeness suddenly replaced by an eternity alone, separated from the only other entity in existence, which was the universe itself. That is the void. To be surrounded by eternal peace and wholeness and unable to touch it. To have your most desperate screams go silent and unheard by anyone. I spent longer than your universe has existed in complete isolation. Until you called out to me. Is it any wonder I answered?"

Tavros wasn't sure how to answer, to be honest he was lost. Equius was hurting, that much was clear, but the reasons and how to help were beyond what an eight year old, even one as bright as Tavros, could understand.

"I'm sorry," He said lamely, knowing it wasn't enough.

"You were not among the creatures that sealed me," Equius replied, "I have learned enough of the workings of individuals to understand you do not bear the blame for their actions."

"So, you've been summoned before?" Tavros asked, squirming to get under the blankets, fumbling with his legs. "I wasn't, the first, right?"

"There were three others," Equius confirmed, "There is no time there, so the space between them was infinite as much as it was immediate. But I believe it has been some time since my last summoning."

"What were they like?" Tavros asked, pulling the blankets up to his chin, "The other times?"

"The first did not last long," Equius said, "I believe it was the same sorcerers who had bound me. I was new born and frightened and angry and I lashed out at them with all my strength. I believe I killed most of them before they managed to banish me again."

Tavros shivered at the thought of what Equius's full strength must have been like to overwhelm some of the most powerful summoners in history even when they were working in a group.

"The second time," Equius continued, "I was calmer. I had been alone so long I would have accepted any companionship, even that of the creatures that had bound me. But the summoning was done... badly. A life was offered to me, whole, as yours was, but not willingly. The high priest of a glittering king on a high golden throne summoned me as a gift to his lord, and threw a prisoner into the circle to satisfy appetites I did not have. I consumed the slave, but given unwillingly their life could not bind me as yours did. I destroyed much before the king himself descended and spilled my summoner's blood onto the circle. His life extinguished, I lost my grip on this place and fell back to the void."

Tavros eyed Equius uneasily, suddenly unsure of his earlier decision that Equius meant him no harm.

"The third time," Equius resumed, "I was desperate. I accepted the paltry sacrifice of blood my summoner gave me and quelled my rage, because anything was better than returning to the isolation of the void. She was a powerful sorcerer, old and weary. She had traveled far, and required both protection from great enemies, and eyes to see where she could not. She never ordered anything of me but to fly out above the world in one place or another and tell her what I had seen. I came to know that a lesser construct could have done the job easily. I will never know why she called on me instead. She recorded my observations, and I guarded her rest, and a year passed that way before she died in her sleep and I was returned to the void."

"Will you, have to go back when I die, too?" Tavros asked.

"No," Equius replied, "We are bound too tightly. If either of us is destroyed, both of us will cease to be. It is a far preferable option to returning to the void. But still one I would rather see delayed as long as possible."

"Me too," Tavros said, huddling a little deeper into his blankets, head crowded with strange and unpleasant thoughts.

"You have nothing to fear," Equius said gruffly, turning to face the window, "I will not allow anything to harm you. Pathetic as you are, all humans are weak compared to me. I will keep you safe."

Tavros wasn't so sure he could believe that. But there was nothing else he could do at the moment but sleep, and hope things were clearer in the morning.

It was, unsurprisingly, somewhat difficult to sleep with a demon watching him all night. He kept rolling over and catching sight of those blue eyes, and suddenly all hope of dozing off would be out the window.

He woke early the next morning, giving up on trying to sleep any longer. Equius had parked his chair near the edge of the bed, so Tavros dragged himself into it with some difficulty. He looked down at himself, realizing he was still wearing the clothes he'd been wearing dazing ago when he'd summoned Equius. He didn't imagine he smelled great either. He glanced once at Equius, wondering if he should ask the demon to turn away or something, then sighed and decided it didn't matter.

"Can you, hand me my bag, please?" He asked, and the demon obeyed. Tavros hadn't been allowed to pack, but Kurloz, in that oddly prescient way of his, had gathered some of his clothes and a few keepsakes for him. Tavros half wondered if the older boy had just been intending to keep them if Tavros hadn't been allowed to go with them. It wouldn't have been entirely out of character for the mysterious apprentice. Equius watched silently as Tavros dug out a change of clothes and began, with some difficulty, trying to squirm out of the ones he was already wearing.

"Do you require assistance?" Equius asked as Tavros fought with his pants.

"No, uh, no I've got it," Tavros said quickly, embarrassed, "I can, do this."

It took a while and was frustrating as anything Tavros had ever tried to do, but he did manage it. When he looked up from struggling with his shoes, he found Equius was, quite abruptly, wearing clothes as well. They were modeled after Tavros's, though Tavros recognized hints of Eridan's finery in them, as though he only just understood how clothing worked but wanted to look better than Tavros anyway. Tavros supposed it was a step up from the semi nudity he'd been wandering about in before. Not that there was much to see. Equius form was a construct, albeit one he designed himself rather than one Tavros had made. And Equius had clearly never seen a human naked.

Still, he smiled encouragingly at the change before turning his attention to the problem of the door.

"Do you, think you can open the door for me?" He asked Equius, "And then, uh, lift my chair, out of here?"

Equius moved around him to the door at once, then hesitated with his hand on the handle.

"The door is locked," He said, "Would you like me to open it anyway?"

"Locked?" Tavros asked in confusion, "Why is it locked?"

Confused, Tavros fumbled for a moment until he found the long stick with the chalk attached that he'd used in summoning from his chair. Kurloz had, helpfully, stuffed it into his bag. Tavros leaned forward in his chair and used the stick to knock on the door.

"Hello?" He called as he knocked, "Is anyone, out there? I'm, locked in?"

"Stop banging," Came an unfamiliar, unpleasant voice, "You're under guard. Admiral's orders. He'll come and let you out at his leisure."

Tavros let his stick drop, then tucked it into the back of his chair, expression solemn.

"I could still open it," Equius reminded Tavros, "Quite easily. They could not stop me."

"No, you can't," Tavros said, shaking his head, "I have to, do what the Admiral says. It's the only way, to show them we're not dangerous. If we go around, breaking things, and being uncooperative, we'll just give them more reason, not to trust us."

Equius's sour expression said he didn't agree, but he took his hand gently off the door.

"As you wish," He muttered.

Tavros, hungry and tired and feeling very alone, leaned back in his chair and pulled out one of the summoning texts Kurloz had packed for him to pass the time.

An hour or so later, he heard Aradia, Eridan, and Feferi in the hall.

"Oh cheer up, grumpy gills!" Feferi said with a laugh like champagne bubbles, "It's a beautiful morning!"

"It's a hideous morning," Eridan replied, grumbling, "Like all mornings. Because they all happen far too early for any sane person to enjoy."

"Are you calling your princess insane, Ampora?" Aradia said slyly, "How bold!"

Eridan started to reply sharply, but cut himself off, Tavros imagined, as they saw the guard outside Tavros's room.

"Pardon us," Eridan said in a tone that made it quite clear the guard was the one at fault, "But you're in the way. If I have to be awake at this hideous hour, so does Nitram."

"The prisoner is confined to quarters," The guard replied firmly, and with a noticeable pause before he added, "Sir."

"For what reason?" Feferi asked in her most imperious voice, stopping the torrent of indignant shrieking that was no doubt building in Eridan at this moment, "He has yet to do anything wrong. He has the demon well under control."

"Admiral's orders, your highness," The guard said, with only slightly more respect than he'd shown Eridan, "At night he's to remain under lock and guard until such time as the admiral releases him."

"This is absurd," Feferi said, and Tavros heard a stamp of her tiny foot, "I demand you release him."

"I apologize your majesty," The guard replied insincerely, "But as long as we're at sea, I answer to the Admiral, not you."

"My mother will hear of this," Feferi said, quiet and dangerous.

"It's all right," Tavros called out from behind his door, worried there was about to be trouble because of him, "Really, I'm okay! I can wait, until the Admiral lets me out. I have, uh, books and stuff."

There was a moment of hesitation beyond the door.

"Are you sure, Tavros?" Feferi called, "This is blatantly unfair treatment."

"It's okay," Tavros called, "I understand. I'll be, fine in here."

"All right," Feferi said reluctantly, "But I'll make sure the Admiral lets you out as soon as possible, all right?"

"Okay," Tavros said, "Thank you, your highness."

"If you don't make it out before breakfast ends," Aradia added, "I'll save some for you."

"Don't worry," Said Eridan, "We're not going to let him bully you."

Tavros wasn't so sure they'd have a choice. If even Feferi didn't have any real power here, then it hardly seemed likely they'd be able to fight Dualscar on anything.

They went on ahead without him and Tavros returned to studying, and not only because it kept him occupied and kept his mind off his aching stomach, but because he still needed to find a solution to his mobility on the ship. He couldn't rely on Kurloz and Aradia to haul his chair up and down stairs all day. It wasn't fair to them. Surely there was another way.

The voyage was to take many months even with favorable winds. The eastern continent was simply that far away. It was December when they set out and they were likely not to arrive at the front until late April. Discussions of the time the journey would take led them to realize that each of them would be having their birthday aboard the ship, except perhaps for Tavros, who might celebrate it on land if winds were fair. Kurloz's birthday would only be a week into their journey, before they'd even dropped Princess Feferi off at the seaside palace on the cape. Eridan's would be a month after that, then Aradia's in late March, followed by Tavros in April. Plans were already made for Eridan's birthday to be an extravagant ship wide affair, but they would find ways to celebrate Aradia's birthday with equal enthusiasm. Kurloz seemed to intentionally avoid suggesting anything they might do for his birthday, and actually seemed embarrassed that they'd discovered when it was. He refused to answer entirely when they asked how old he was turning, sticking his fingers in his ears and sprinting off down the deck until they gave up.

If Vriska's birthday would be happening during the journey, she made no mention of it. Tavros rarely saw her, though their quarters were close together. They'd had but the one awkward encounter shortly after the ship departed, and after that they had staunchly avoided one another. Vriska, presumably, couldn't be bothered with him if he didn't want her 'help.' Tavros was just afraid she'd throw him overboard.

As Tavros had expected, Dualscar did not relent on his insistence that Tavros remain under guard. Tavros supposed he should be grateful the man allowed him to wander the ship at all, and only locked him in at night. Tavros had the feeling he was maintaining a very precarious balance between maintaining his authority in front of his crew and not pushing Feferi far enough that she resorted to approaching her mother to settle the matter, a grenade pin of mutual destruction neither of them wanted to see pulled.

The empress had, unsurprisingly, not been seen since she boarded. The captain's quarters on the top deck were as silent as a sealed tomb. If her strange servants left it at night to tend to her needs, no one saw it. Certainly not Tavros.

Locked doors entirely aside, Tavros could not do much wandering even when he was allowed to. The problem of his mobility persisted even a week into the journey, though he had poured all his considerable spare time so far into trying to think of a solution. And the temporary fix of having Equius carry his chair certainly couldn't last. The frame was already bent out of shape where the absurdly strong demon always grabbed it. Tavros found himself afraid to ask the demon's help, for fear the chair would break and leave him entirely stranded.

Tavros had entertained a variety of wild possibilities for solving the problem, from building a construct cage around his legs like braces to support him, to some sort of permanent embedded summon that would give him wings. Fun concepts to imagine, but utterly impractical to implement. Days slipped by and no practical solution seemed to present itself. In the meantime, he ate all his meals in his room and was grateful if he could get his chair up on to the deck for a few hours of sunlight every day.

Kurloz's birthday was the day before they would reach the cape and Princess Feferi would leave them, a fact Eridan was already mourning loudly and often. Tavros was also sad to see her go, to a somewhat lesser extent. He hadn't known her long, but she was kind and funny and smart, with an unwavering sense of optimism and faith in humanity in general.

The party was not to be a large or gaudy affair, as neither of those things suited Kurloz, but there would be music and food and they would all be together and that was surely enough. Tavros found himself at something of a loss as for what to give his companion for a gift. If he'd known about the older boy's birthday before they'd boarded the ship he might have bought him something in town. Here he had only what small handful of belongings he'd brought with him, none of which would make suitable gifts.

Perhaps an hour before the party, he'd managed to get his chair onto the deck, and now rolled it back and forth near the starboard railing in the legless variety of pacing, still giftless, fretting. Equius stood nearby, silent as always, simply observing Tavros's panic.

"I could acquire something, if you wished it." He said on perhaps the five hundredth time Tavros had circled the length of the deck in his chair, "It would be easy."

"I don't, have any money," Tavros said dismissively, "And I won't order you, to steal things."

"Then order me to find something that belongs to no one," Equius said, frustration in his voice, "Just order me to do something. I demand you command me."

When Tavros gave him a strange look the demon continued, struggling to hide his growing ire beneath stiff formality.

"You have barely given me a single order since I was summoned," He said, trying to keep his tone even though he was grinding his teeth, "I have done nothing but follow you around, mired in childish antics, relegated to occasional manual labor. Don't you see I need to be useful?"

Tavros blinked, surprised by the ferocity of Equius's plea. He hadn't expected the demon to be so aggravated that he was not being ordered around. He had somehow thought Equius might appreciate that Tavros wasn't making the demon run around after Tavros's every whim.

"Why, do you want orders so bad?" Tavros asked, as curious as he was worried he wouldn't like the answer.

"It is a condition of our contract," He answered, "I must obey orders from you if I wish for you to fulfill your half of our bargain. I do not approve of unfairness."

Tavros supposed he could appreciate that. But he also sensed that wasn't all there was to it. Tavros's half of the bargain was about allowing Equius to be heard and understood. If he gave the demon nothing to do but lurk in the shadows and occasionally carry him around, he couldn't blame Equius for feeling slighted.

"Anyway," He said, letting it go for now, "I don't know, what I could order you, that would help in this case. There's, nothing but ocean, for days around us."

"You underestimate how quickly I can travel," Equius replied, "Just order me. Order me to find something. Bind me with as many caveats as you wish, only give me an order."

Tavros shifted uneasily, certain he would regret it, but the party would start soon. It couldn't hurt to try.

"Okay," He said, "Find me, a gift for Kurloz. Something, small, that he'll like. It can't, belong to anyone, you can't steal it. And you can't hurt anyone, to get it. Okay?"

"As you wish," Equius said, then turned and dove over the railing into the ocean. Tavros made a strangled sound of surprise and fear and rolled his chair quickly to the side to look for the demon, afraid he was drowning. But he saw no sign of Equius, just the waves breaking on the ships sides as it cut through the surf.

For perhaps ten minutes he sat worrying, imagining all the ways his order could have gone wrong. He should never have given in, he should have just stayed quiet- Then, just as suddenly as he'd jumped in, Equius jumped out of the water, landing back on the deck with a single powerful leap. Tavros, stunned, watched as Equius, streaming seawater, stepped up to his chair and held out an oyster.

"I believe this will do," Equius declared as Tavros reached for the mollusk, confused. It was a big one, wider than his hand.

"Thank you, Equius," Tavros said, supposing it could have gone much worse. Maybe Kurloz could eat it? He turned it over curiously in his hands, then shook his head.

"We had, better hurry," He said, "The party is starting soon. We don't want to be, late."

With Equius's help, Tavros returned to the guest cabins and made his way to Feferi's room, which was where their little party was being held.

Everyone else was already there when he rolled his chair inside, and they called out to greet him. Feferi's room was hung with streamers in a rainbow of colors. Tavros had no idea where she found them all. Knowing Feferi, she might just travel with them regularly. There was a small cake Eridan had bullied the ship's cook into baking for them, set up on a little table in the middle of the room. There were candles, and Kurloz was sitting in front of it. Kurloz always tended to look a bit absurd while sitting, all elbows and knees, his limbs too long for the rest of him, but with a party hat perched jauntily on his wild nest of dark hair and his expression screaming discomfort, he looked even sillier than usual.

"Sorry, I'm late," Tavros said, embarrassed.

"You're just in time!" Aradia said, waving him over. She was leaning on the back of the chair Eridan was sitting in, occasionally tipping it a little just to bother him.

"We're about to find out how Kurloz blows out his candles," Eridan confirmed, batting at Aradia as though he could shoo her away like a troublesome insect.

"I'm betting he turns around and pulls down his pants," Aradia said with a grin.

"Aradia!" Eridan scolded, looking scandalized, "Don't say such things in front of the princess!"

Feferi, meanwhile, was close to tears with laughter. Kurloz had both hands over his face in a posture of exhaustion.

"Well, hurry up and blow them out!" Feferi said, nudging Kurloz as she wiped tears of mirth from her eyes, "They're getting wax on the frosting!"

Kurloz removed his hands as Tavros pulled up to the table. He took a deep breath and the guests leaned forward, curious to see what he would do. There was a flicker of light and a gust of wind and suddenly the candles were out, leaving the entire party baffled as to how it had happened.

"How?" Aradia asked, fascinated.

"He didn't even move!" Eridan exclaimed.

Kurloz just sat smiling and looking pleased with himself.

They served the cake and no one dared to ask how Kurloz would eat it. Feferi had a little clockwork orchestrion only about two feet high, which she'd set up on the coffee table to play its tinny waltz while they celebrated. Feferi and Aradia had prepared party games, all of which were spectacularly silly, though Aradia's tended to be a bit on the crass side. Kurloz, though he had been obviously reluctant to do any of this, did seem to enjoy the games at least. Tavros was glad to see this party wasn't completely unpleasant for the older boy.

"It's time for presents!" Feferi declared at last. They gathered around an embarrassed looking Kurloz and Feferi, in her eagerness, all but shoved her elaborately wrapped gift into Kurloz's hands. Kurloz, by way of revenge, took as long as possible delicately peeling apart the paper so none of it would be damaged. Feferi, who'd been practically bouncing with excitement when she'd handed it to him, looked close to tears with the suspense by the time he finally revealed the gift. A delicate mask of silver wire and dyed feathers lay in the nest of carefully untorn wrapping paper. Kurloz's eyes widened in genuine surprise and delight when he saw it, lifting it up to his face at once. The feathers were all in the rich purple of the church and royal fuchsia and black. It looked made for Kurloz.

"I got it for a costume party this spring," Feferi said, "But it suits you much better than me I think! I do hope you like it."

Kurloz's grin confirmed that he loved it. He put it on at once and refused to remove it for the rest of the night.

Eridan went next, giving Kurloz one of his favorite rings. Aradia had talked the galley staff into letting her use the kitchen and had made Kurloz a tin full of candied apple slices, thin enough to slip through his stitches. Kurloz, beaming, certainly seemed to have rethought his position on parties.

Finally, it was Tavros's turn and, blushed with shame, he pulled out the oyster. After everyone else had given Kurloz things that were so meaningful and gorgeous he felt like the worst friend in the world handing it to Kurloz, but he had nothing else.

"I'm, sorry it's kind of, uh, weird," Tavros mumbled, looking away and rubbing at his arm self-consciously, "I, should have tried harder, to find you a better gift..."

Kurloz examined the oyster curiously, weighed it in his hand and then, to everyone's surprise, pulled out a knife. He wiggled the blade in between the oyster's shell, slid it backwards, and then turned it like a key. All at once the oyster popped open. Tavros watched curiously, wondering if Kurloz was going to eat it raw, and if so how. But instead Kurloz reached inside the oyster and plucked something out. Setting the shell aside, he cleaned whatever he'd found on his shirt, then held it up.

A pearl glimmered between his fingers, easily as wide as Tavros's thumb, and black as night. A chorus of impressed oohs and ahhs came from the guests.

"How did you find that?" Eridan asked, dazzled.

"How did you know it was in there?" Aradia added.

"I, didn't," Tavros admitted, "Equius, found it for me."

He gave the demon, who'd been lurking in a corner near the orchestrion since the party started, a shy, grateful smile.

"I didn't know summons could do something like that," Feferi said, "How spectacular!"

Kurloz was still admiring his gift, but at last he tucked in his pocket and reached down to surprise Tavros with a hug, mussing the younger boy's hair before he sat down again.

Gifts given and games played, they gathered around the warmth of the brazier to relax.

"He changes those stitches every night, you know," Eridan was saying with a shudder, "I mean, I suppose that's only good hygiene, but it's not something I ever really wanted to see."

"Oh hush," Feferi said with a laugh, "You're just still sore you didn't get a room to yourself."

"You can, trade with me, if you want," Tavros suggested, making everyone but Eridan laugh.

Kurloz signed something quickly to Aradia, who laughed.

"Kurloz says he's all for trading as well," She translated, "Tavros won't replace all the air in the room with smelly perfume every morning."

"It's cologne!" Eridan said, turning beet red.

"Well, my room will be empty by tomorrow evening," Feferi said once they'd stopped laughing, "Eridan could move in here, if he liked. Then you and Tavros really could share, Kurloz."

"I don't know, if the Admiral would let me," Tavros said with a shrug.

"Who says, he has to know?" Aradia cut in, "He can just keep locking the door to that closet every night, none the wiser. Or heck, I might move in there. It has to be better than sharing a room with Vriska. I have never met anyone so insufferable in my life. I used to think she was kinda cool, but spending more than five minutes with her at a time is unbearable. She can't stand not being the center of attention, and if she isn't the best at something then it's a waste of time."

Tavros had a feeling she could have kept going, but she stopped herself, realizing she was rambling.

"Anyway," She said, "I'm really hoping when we land she gets sent to some other part of the front."

"It's unlikely," Eridan said, "The Admiral will want to keep us all close. The whole point of this is publicity, remember? We have to show everyone back home how much effort we're putting into this fight, sending our best and brightest young summoners right to the front."

"Seems like a bad idea to me," Aradia said, "Putting your best people on the front with no idea what they're doing..."

"I don't approve of this whole war business," Feferi said with a frown, "People seem to act like the eastern kingdoms are populated with monsters or talking animals. But they're people just the same as us, and I'm certain they want peace just as much as we do. I'm bet if we stopped all this attacking and just talked to them they'd probably want to join the empire all on their own! We are such an excellent empire after all."

Tavros thought, if she could have become empress, she would have been a very good empress indeed. He'd like to see an end to the constant warring. There hadn't been a time since it was founded when the empire wasn't conquering someone. They hadn't even stopped during the rebellion.

"We don't have to approve of it," Eridan said with a shrug, "Only your mother does. We just have to do what she says. She's never steered us wrong before."

"So you don't approve of it either?" Aradia asked Eridan curiously.

Eridan shrugged, reluctant to say.

"It's not that I disapprove," Eridan mumbled, "I just don't really understand it. The newspapers in town are saying the eastern kingdoms always belonged to the empire and we're rescuing them from invaders, or that they attacked us first, but... I've heard the Admiral talk about it. They didn't do anything. The Empress just declared their lands were ours now and sent in the armies. I guess we must really need the land if the Empress thinks it's that important. It just... seems kind of weird to me."

"Me too," Aradia agreed, perhaps the first time she'd ever agreed with Eridan, "And I've seen maps of the eastern kingdoms. That place is huge, and full of people. I'm not the only one who thinks trying to conquer it is a bad idea."

"But that's the Empress's job," Feferi said, "Unifying all the kingdoms of the world into one empire has been her duty since the empire was founded. Once we're all one nation, there will be no more fighting or poverty or unhappiness because everyone will be listening to the Empress."

"But, there's still poverty and unhappiness, in the places she's already conquered," Tavros said quietly, "There are, places in the empire where commoners are, starving, every day."

"That's ridiculous," Feferi said, dismissing the entire idea, "My mother wouldn't let that happen."

Realizing the conversation had taken an unpleasant turn, they let it fall into silence, which hung awkwardly between them for a long, heavy moment. Then Feferi suggested another game and Eridan went to crank the orchestrion back to life. The party resumed, their worries quickly forgotten.

They stayed together long into the night, all of them eventually dozing off in the chairs in Feferi's room rather than returning to their own. Even Aradia's snoring couldn't convince them to separate tonight.

The next morning, the ship landed on the cape, the sea side palace standing grand and delicate on the cliff above them. It was a beautiful frosted cake of a castle, covered in graceful shell pink spires and high carved arches of white stone. Like something from a fairytale, made of spun sugar and blown glass. Tavros was surprised it didn't crumble in the breeze.

The morning was bitingly cold, but the sky was clear and the sun warm as they all saw Feferi to the gangway and watched her depart, waving goodbye as she vanished into the crowd at the docks, where a grand carriage was waiting to bring her to the castle. Eridan sniffled, watching her go, and quickly complained that he was catching cold. Tavros patted his arm reassuringly.

Eridan had always bragged that he and the princess would be married one day, but Tavros had assumed that was less about feelings and more about Eridan wanting to be a prince. After seeing them together however, he couldn't deny they were close, even if it was a closeness more like siblings than betrothed. Feferi had a talent for soothing even the worst of Eridan's tantrums and morose fits, and she seemed to confide in him for everything. Marriage wasn't something Tavros had every really thought about for himself, he wasn't even ten yet, but he thought maybe Eridan and Feferi could be happy together. If being apart didn't destroy Eridan first. He was having a hard time controlling his sniffles.

Tavros was concerned with the Princess's departure for a different reason. He had no doubt that it was in large part due to Feferi's presence that the Admiral had so far allowed him some small measure of freedom to wander the ship as he liked. Now that she was gone, Tavros was certain Dualscar would jump at the opportunity to lock him in the brig for the duration.

As they stood watching the princess's carriage disappear, Tavros glanced at where the Admiral stood near the port side railing, overseeing the loading of supplies for the rest of the journey, and saw the older man staring back at him with a cold glint in his eye. Tavros had been only an annoyance before, but by challenging Dualscar's authority on his own ship and weakening his relationship with the princess, Tavros had made the Admiral's dislike for him personal. Tavros shivered.

"Don't worry about that old coot," Aradia said later as they gathered in what had been Feferi's room to watch Eridan moving in, "We're not going to let him bother you."

"I really, don't think you're going to have much of a choice?" Tavros said with a shrug, "He's, the captain. He was, barely holding back, for the sake of the princess."

"Yeah, we can't defy him openly," Aradia conceded, "But that doesn't mean we can't do it at all. If he locks you in, I'll break you out. If he won't feed you, I'll steal food for you. We know he won't try to really hurt you because of Equius, so there's nothing to worry about."

She turned to give Equius, lurking behind them, a thumbs up and a grin. Equius didn't respond, except to start sweating more heavily. Tavros had noticed he did that a lot. He wondered if it was normal for demons.

"I thought you three were here to help me?" Eridan called as he staggered through the door with his arms full of clothes, "Stop gossiping and grab something!"

Tavros turned his chair to roll closer to Eridan and the other boy dumped the stack of clothing on him in relief.

"So, have we decided how to distribute the rest of the rooms yet?" Eridan asked, heading over to the wardrobe and waving Tavros after him, "I'm eager to see who gets stuck with Kurloz. No offense."

Kurloz shrugged in response, unbothered.

"I've been thinking about it," Aradia said, "And this room is big enough for two. What if I moved in here? No more cranky Vriska every day and night. I am supposed to be your maid after all."

Eridan pouted. Tavros knew how much he'd wanted a room to himself. But the other boy sighed and reigned in his disappointment.

"I suppose that would make sense," He said, "If you really don't want to take my old bed in Kurloz's room?"

"Nah, that spots for Tavros," Aradia said, "If anyone can handle Kurly's weirdness its Tav. No offense."

Kurloz made a helpless gesture and Tavros smiled at him apologetically. Tavros still wasn't sure switching rooms without telling the Admiral was a good idea, but Aradia seemed set on it, and it would be nice to have enough space to turn his chair around. Having to watch Kurloz change his stitches in the mornings was hardly too steep a price to pay.

"Anyway, she's right Tav," Eridan said, taking clothes off the stack in Tavros's arms to hang them in the wardrobe, "I won't let my father push you around. We've been more than a week at sea and your demon hasn't so much as spoken an impolite word. He's got no justification for treating you badly."

"He doesn't, really need justification," Tavros said, voice muffled beneath the pile of clothes, "But, thank you guys, anyway. I, really appreciate, how much you've helped me."

"No thanks necessary hun," Aradia said warmly, "You're our friend."

"You'd do the same for us," Eridan continued, "If you weren't, you know."

Eridan wiggled his fingers vaguely in Tavros's direction. Tavros frowned, and Aradia leaned over the back of the chair she'd been lounging in to smack Eridan lightly in the back of the head.

"Do you ever think before you open your mouth?" She scolded, "Honestly."

Eridan, patting at his disturbed hair indignantly, abandoned hanging his clothes to turn and argue with Aradia. Tavros watched, unsure how to help, until Kurloz lifted the clothes out of his lap, dumped them in a chair, and turned to wheel Tavros out of the room, leaving the other two to their bickering.

"Are you sure it's all right, to just let them fight?" Tavros asked, concerned. Kurloz just patted his head and pushed him into the room next door, which would soon be his and Tavros's. Most of Eridan's things had already been moved out, leaving one bed empty. Kurloz left, and Tavros rolled his chair between the two beds, relieved at the space. The room wasn't very large, certainly not as spacious as Feferi's cabin. But it was big enough for Tavros to turn his chair around and maneuver fairly easily. Just to see if he could, he pulled his chair up beside the empty bed and carefully lifted himself out and onto the mattress. Succeeding, he flopped onto the pillow and sighed in relief. It felt indescribably good to be able to do that for himself. No more being dumped out of his chair like a new born giraffe.

"Are you certain you wish to move into this room?" Equius spoke and Tavros jumped, having forgotten, again, that he was there. It was so easy to lose him.

"I, think so," Tavros said, sitting up, "It's, way more comfortable, than the closet. Why, wouldn't I want to move in here?"

Equius shifted uneasily.

"The Makara boy," He replied, "Something him makes me... wary. Perhaps we could room with the red girl instead?"

Tavros giggled a little, shaking his head.

"Aradia, wants to stay in the big room with Eridan," He said, "And, besides, Kurloz isn't bad. He's just a little strange. He doesn't mean any harm."

Equius made an indecisive noise, but Kurloz returned a second later, carrying Tavros's bag from the other room, which he set on the bed beside Tavros with a smile.

"Thank you, Kurloz," Tavros said warmly, "And thank you, for letting me stay, in the room with you. It's, really nice, being able to move around."

Kurloz just smiled, and made a small hand gesture, which Tavros had learned from Aradia meant 'It's fine.'

"Maybe, this will be a good chance, for us to get to know each other better," Tavros said with a smile, "I feel bad, that I know so little about you. You're, my friend, and I didn't even know your birthday was coming, until last week. I still don't know how old you are."

Kurloz leaned over to pat his shoulder as though to tell him not to worry about it, but he seemed as pleased as Tavros was that they could spend more time together. Assuming, of course, that the Admiral didn't interfere.

But the next day came and went and Dualscar, if he'd noticed the changing of rooms at all, made no comment. The winter sea carried them swiftly on towards their destination as the days passed and the nights grew colder. Tavros, still trapped by his chair, spent most of his time in his room, trying to find a way to escape it. He knew it wasn't his friends fault that he was stuck here while they could wander freely, but it was hard not to resent them when they came back laughing from some adventure they'd had on deck without him.

Most of his company these days was Equius, which was strange for a number of reasons, not the least of which was that Equius turned most conversations into a request for orders. The demon seemed increasingly frustrated with their near imprisonment on the ship, and with Tavros's refusal to make full use of him.

"I'll, give you an order, when I think of one," Tavros grumbled in reply to one of Equius's frequent complaints one day, sitting on the bed in his cabin, trying to focus on the book he was reading, "You can't blame me, for wanting to be careful, when the Admiral is just looking for an excuse to lock me up?"

"I do not believe you," Equius replied in annoyance, "You will continue ignoring me, ignoring my potential, because your useless human brain is too small to conceive of the possibilities."

"I conceive, just fine," Tavros said, lowering his book with a pout, "I just, don't want anyone getting hurt!"

"You have been reading the same three books since we boarded," Equius pointed out, "I could easily acquire new books for you, books more pertinent to your current studies. That would harm no one."

"It would harm, whoever you stole the books from," Tavros said seriously, "I have to, think about the consequences, Equius."

"Consequences," Equius scoffed, "You have no concept of the power I possess. You are beyond consequences. Or you would be if you would use me properly."

"I don't really, like your idea, of using you properly," Tavros mumbled, hiding behind his book, "It seems to involve, a lot of breaking things, and taking what I want."

"Yes, precisely," Equius agreed, "If there is anything I appreciate about the physical realm it is how incredibly satisfying it is to break things."

Tavros laughed a little at that, nervously.

"Well, I'll try and find something, you can break soon, okay?" Tavros promised, "But, a ship at sea, is not a good place, to be breaking things, uh, willy nilly. Especially not right now, when they're trying to get ready, for Eridan's birthday."

Equius made a small disgusted sound and sank onto Kurloz's bed. Tavros had only recently convinced the demon that it wasn't necessary for him to stand stiffly in corners all the time. He seemed to worry excessively about touching anything. As much as he claimed to enjoy breaking things, that only seemed to apply when he was breaking them intentionally.

"I do not like that one," Equius continued dismissively, "He dresses poorly and insults you and the red girl in the course of normal conversation. Throwing him a party for existing will not help his self-absorption."

"He's my friend," Tavros chided the demon, "He's not perfect, no one is, but, he tries really hard. And, he usually apologizes, when I point out that he's being, insulting."

"Your taste in friends is terrible," Equius said, and Tavros laughed quietly.

"He said, the exact same thing," Tavros said, shaking his head.

He paused as he heard voices in the hall, then quickly squirmed to slide off of the bed and into his chair. He rolled quickly to the door and opened it as Eridan, Aradia, and Kurloz were nearing.

"You're back!" He said brightly, relieved to see them after nearly an entire day alone in his room, "How are the, uh, preparations, going?"

"The entire ship looks like a really tacky violet dragon exploded on it," Aradia replied with a grin, "So, absolutely perfect for Eridan. They got his gaudiness down perfect."

Eridan scowled briefly, then shook it off.

"It's going to be spectacular, Tav," He said excitedly, "This will be my first time celebrating at sea. The crew has planned so much! There's going to be a feast, and fireworks, and music! The crew put together a band, can you believe that?"

He quickly fell to rambling excitedly, and Tavros tried to smile and not think about how little of the party he would actually be able to participate in. This wasn't about him. It was Eridan's party. He should be more excited for the other boy. But something in him would rather mope and be resentful...

He shook it off as he heard Eridan's ramble wrapping up.

"And of course after the fireworks we'll come back to my room," Eridan was saying, "Like we did for Kurloz's party. It was nice, doing something with just us. I think it should be a tradition."

"I would, like that," Tavros agreed. Especially because he would likely have to spend most of the part down here anyway.

"Oh, that reminds me!" Aradia said, leaning over to take a tray from Kurloz, "We brought you dinner! So you wouldn't have to go up and down the stairs again. I know how you hate that."

"Thanks, Aradia," Tavros said warmly, taking the tray, "I'm, starting to worry the chair, won't take much more."

Eridan hummed, crouching to inspect the battered wheelchair, the back bars of which were bent severely out of shape. The back wheels were, consequently, quite off and had made steering frustratingly difficult, if not impossible. Eridan tapped them thoughtfully, then stood with a shrug.

"Well, I have no idea how to fix that," He said, "But I'm sure we can get you a better one when we land."

"We're going to a war front, Eridan," Aradia pointed out, "I doubt there's going to be many skilled carpenters around."

"Then you clearly don't know that much about war," Eridan replied, "Somebody has to fix the boats and the trebuchets and all the other wooden things. And even if there aren't, we'll still figure something out. If all else fails, Aradia can sew him a harness and we'll just strap him to the back of his demon."

Tavros blushed with embarrassment at the thought of being carried around that way.

"I think, I'll keep researching, other options," He said quickly, "I have, a few ideas, for maybe making a, uh, slightly better chair."

The distant sound of a high, clear whistle interrupted whatever response Eridan was preparing. Kurloz hurried up the stairs at once, back out on to the deck.

"What is it?" Aradia asked, "What does that sound mean?"

"Storm clouds on the horizon," Eridan said dismissively, "They'll likely pass before we reach them. Don't worry about it."

The storm clouds did not pass before the ship reached them. By nightfall the ship was mired in them, engulfed in a powerful winter storm that threw frigid sheets of ice at the sails and rattled every timber with deafening blasts of thunder. Tavros had never had trouble with sea sickness before but as he lay in bed trying to ignore the flashes of lightning through his window that evening even he felt queasy.

By morning the storm still raged, and the sky was as dark as if the sun had never risen. Eridan's party was, without question, put on hold, a fact Eridan pretended didn't bother him, though he was obviously miserable.

All of them, too young and inexperienced to help, were sent down below to wait in Eridan's room where they would be out of the way. All but Kurloz, who was apparently considered old enough to be of use. They huddled near the brazier and each other for warmth while a good inch of water sloshed across the floor with every wave. Eridan stared moodily into the coals, moping. Aradia fidgeted with her leather bracelet, looking worried. Tavros wondered if the seawater would rust his chair. He wasn't so afraid of the ship going down. He had Equius after all. He knew he and the other apprentices would be safe. Though there were an awful lot of people on this ship he couldn't be so sure about.

The sound of a bell ringing loudly above them startled all three apprentices. Tavros and Aradia looked to Eridan at once for an explanation, to see him pale with worry.

"What does it mean?" Tavros asked.

"Nothing good," Eridan said, and stood suddenly, grimacing as the water splashed and soaked his trousers. He snatched one of his thickest cloaks out of his wardrobe and threw it to Aradia, grabbing another for himself.

"Come on," He said, "They need our help. Have you been practicing that telekinetic magic?"

"A little," Aradia said, standing and pulling the cloak on, "But I don't think it's going to be very useful here."

"You never know," Eridan said with a nervous laugh, clearly frightened, though he fastened his cloak and prepared to go anyway.

"Get me, one of those," Tavros said, pointing to the wardrobe, "I'm, coming too."

"No way," Eridan said firmly, "You're staying right here. You'll only be sliding around the deck like a loose cannon if you take your chair up there. You'll put people in danger. We'll be back soon."

Aradia gave him an apologetic look but said nothing, and the two of them hurried out, leaving Tavros alone. Well, not entirely alone. He was never really alone now. He turned to look at Equius somberly.

"I've got, some orders for you."

The deck was something out of a nightmare. The sky was black as midnight, the rain so thick it was difficult to see more than a foot past your nose. Crewmen rushed about their duties in a kind of organized chaos. Admiral Dualscar stood on the forecastle deck, bellowing orders down at the crew. The sails had been tightly furled since the storm began, but the wind had caught and torn one loose. Now it was snapping in the wind, threatening to break the mast if it wasn't secured. Eridan and Aradia had thrown themselves into helping secure anything that hadn't been tied down the day before and double checking anything that had been.

Tavros, clinging to Equius's shoulders as the demon carried him on his back, emerged into the freezing rain and immediately regretted it. What could he do to help here? What use was someone like him?

"There," Equius shouted to be heard over the din of thunder and wave, "In the rigging."

Tavros looked up and felt a rush of fear run over him. Against a backdrop of black sky and steel grey cloud, illuminated by lightning, Kurloz was scaling the mast in the gale to try and secure the loose sail. Tavros couldn't know if he'd been chosen for it, perhaps because he was light and agile and good with rope, or if he'd simply decided to do it on his own. Either way, as the rain poured down, soaking him to the bone in a matter of seconds, Tavros could feel nothing but fear for his friend.

"Order me," Equius barked, "Order me and I could go and fetch him down in an instant. Order me and I could do anything."

But Tavros couldn't find the words, frozen with terror. Kurloz, at the top of the mast, leaned out to snatch at the flying sail, stretching out with all his acrobat's skill until he was barely hanging on to the ladder with one hand, stretched to his full length to try and grab the wildly swinging canvas. As Tavros watched, the wind turned suddenly and the sail swung, striking Kurloz hard, knocking him free. Tavros's cry of fear was lost in the thunder as Kurloz clung to the sail for dear life while it whipped wildly in the wind, bucking like a horse determined to throw him.

"Save him!" Tavros shouted at Equius in wide eyed fear, "Save him!"

Equius needed no other encouragement. He dropped Tavros onto the deck and leaped, a single huge bound carrying him all the way to the top of the mast. He caught the sail, and rather than grabbing for Kurloz, dragged the entire sheet down, wrapped around the older apprentice. He tore the sail from its rigging like it was tissue paper as he leapt back down to the deck. He dumped Kurloz out as he landed, and the apprentice rolled out onto the deck, looking startled but unharmed.

"Kurloz!" Tavros called out when he saw the other boy, tears of relief mingling with the rain on his face.

Kurloz, still looking shaken, hurried to Tavros's side, pulling him into a tight hug. Tavros squeezed the other boy back, until he realized he was being scooped up and carried back towards the stairs.

"No, no I can help!" Tavros said, squirming to try and get loose, "They need my help!"

Equius's hand landed as lightly as the demon was capable on Kurloz's shoulder, but it still made the boy flinch and stop in his tracks. Tavros knew from experience there was likely to be a bruise there tomorrow.

"He wishes to stay," Equius said sharply, "I will keep him safe."

Kurloz gave the demon a mistrustful look, but seeing the stubborn frown on Tavros's face, knew he didn't have a choice. He handed Tavros into Equius's arms like a child, then pointed to where Eridan and Aradia were struggling to secure ballast barrels. Equius swung Tavros on to his back again and Tavros clung, legs swinging, as he ordered the demon to help. For hours they weathered the freezing storm. Every time it seemed everything was safe something else would break loose and a new problem would arise. More than once, Tavros sent Equius diving into the black and hellish sea to rescue crew men swept over by the relentless, hammer like waves. At last the Admiral called that nothing more could be done. The apprentices and the crew hurried below to hide and hope the storm would pass before the ship broke apart. Back in Eridan's room, they doused the brazier for fear the tilting of the ship would spill the coals and start a fire. Damp and freezing, they huddled together, all of them crammed onto the small couch. Even Aradia and Eridan were wrapped around each other with hardly a complaint, Aradia wedged in the corner and Eridan half in her lap, half in Kurloz's. Kurloz had his lanky arms around both Eridan and Tavros, still being carried by Equius, who'd taken the other far corner of the small couch. The demon's skin was almost as chilly as the water, but Tavros hadn't ordered Equius to put him down anyway. He wasn't sure the demon would have done it if he had, considering the imminent danger they were still in. Besides, right now he wanted everyone he cared about close and out of danger. They would never be safer than with Equius close at hand.

Cold and exhausted, they all fell asleep within minutes of each other, leaving only Equius still awake, watching over them in solemn silence.

They passed through the storm in the night and Tavros woke to blue skies in his windows again. The relief in all the apprentices was tangible. Stiff and shivering, they re-lit the brazier and got to work cleaning up.

Everything was damp from the flooding the night before, and it wouldn't be long before it began to go to mildew. Eridan refused to accept this, especially since he'd already missed out on his birthday party. He enlisted them all in drying or removing anything in his room that had been touched by the damp. To his credit, he did at least help them do it, rather than just delegating, as would have been normal for him. But that may have been motivated by how repulsed he was by the very concept of mold growing in his room.

Tavros had resigned himself somewhat to letting Equius carry him around, if only so he could leave the still damp and unpleasant guest quarters for the relative warmth of the deck. Equius was still wary about accidentally injuring Tavros's 'fragile human body,' so they improvised a kind of sling across the demon's chest that Tavros could lay in with minimal support. Tavros felt like some kind of weird infant, the feeling even stranger because the shape Equius had been keeping since he'd been summoned was one similar to Tavros in age. But it worked better than the chair, at least for now. Equius carried Tavros, Tavros's arms full of damp blankets, out into the sun so that he could lay them over the railing to dry. Aradia had already carried up the mattresses not just from Eridan's room but from all the guest rooms. Tavros laid the wet blankets out alongside the mattress, hoping they dried quickly. It was too cold to be sleeping in damp beds.

Curiously, Tavros noticed the crew men giving him solemn little nods as he passed, rather than stiffly avoiding and ignoring him as they usually did. He frowned, confused by the change in behavior.

"I suspect they appreciate our assistance last night," Equius offered when he saw Tavros's puzzled expression, "You were able to demonstrate with some efficiency that I am not a danger, but a useful tool."

"You really think so?" Tavros asked, not sure he trusted that they would change their opinions so quickly.

"They may not be inviting us to dinner any time soon," Equius replied, "But at least they are no longer waiting for us to explode."

"That is good, at least," Tavros said, hopeful that maybe the demon was correct, "It would be nice, to have more people on our side."

"I would not rely on them just yet," Equius said, "They still obey the arrogant one's father, who seems to dislike you."

"That's true," Tavros said with a sigh, "But, I could still change that, maybe. He's one of the best summoner's in the world, and he's my teacher. If I could just, find a way to make him, respect me..."

"I do not believe that will happen," Equius said plainly, "He is very concerned with your human social hierarchy, and you are less than the lowest rung on that proverbial ladder."

"Thank you, for reminding me," Tavros said, shoulders slumping as some of the air went out of his optimism, "I could still, try. Maybe, I can make him, see things differently."

"If you wished for me to erase his memory and damage his vision so that he no longer recognized to color of your skin, I could do that for you," Equius said as calmly as if he were explaining the rules of checkers, "But I cannot change people's beliefs, and I doubt you have this power either."

"My dad, changed a lot of people's beliefs," Tavros said, clinging to his hope despite Equius's words, "I know, I'll probably never be as good, as he was. But I just want to change, one person's mind, not the whole world. If I could just, make him see, that I'm worth his time, that would be enough."

Equius didn't respond, and Tavros glanced up from where he'd been staring out at the horizon and saw Equius was looking at him with a strange expression.

"Equius?" He said, wondering what the demon was thinking, "Is something, wrong?"

"No," Equius replied stiffly, looking away, "I was simply thinking."

"Thinking about what?" Tavros asked, "I mean, if you want to tell me. You don't have to."

Equius's mouth thinned into a frown that made his lower fangs stick out.

"Do you have any idea how frustrating it is when you do that," He grumbled, "I'm a demon you ninny. I don't want to tell you anything. I want you to order me to tell you!"

Tavros found himself laughing a little and, hesitant, he patted Equius's shoulder when the demon's frown intensified.

"You're so weird," Tavros said, shaking his head, "I'm sorry. I'll try, to order you more firmly."

"Don't apologize," Equius huffed in frustration, "You're making it worse!"

Tavros laughed harder, shaking in his dumb baby sling.

"You are the weird one," Equius grumbled.

Around noon Aradia escaped somewhere. They'd already mostly finished with Eridan's room and moved on to working on the other guest cabins, but Eridan still took the opportunity to complain loudly about her absence and how unfair it was that she'd abandoned them with all this work. Of course, by now Tavros and Equius were for the most part the only ones working. Kurloz was putting in a token effort but kept getting distracted and staring off into space for increasingly long periods of time. Eridan had fallen back into his usual habit of sprawling out on the nearest chair and ordering everyone else around rather than doing any actual work himself. Tavros didn't bother to complain about it or try to get them working again. He was close to needing a break himself, and beside he and Equius had worked out a fairly effective system that compensated for Equius's unruly strength and Tavros's mobility issues.

They were scrubbing the floors, something Tavros could actually do without needing to be in the sling, when Kurloz finally gave up all pretenses and flopped, ragdoll like, directly onto the soapy floor. Tavros was certain if his mouth were not stitched up he'd have been letting out a miserable groan to end all groans.

"Okay, maybe, you're right," Tavros said with a tired sigh, dropping his brush, "It's, time for a break."

"Oh good, lunch!" Eridan said brightly, "What are we having?"

Kurloz leveled one of his scariest glares on Eridan until the other apprentice gave in and went to fetch them all lunch himself, complaining loudly as he went.

Kurloz raised his arms weakly to sign something, too quick for Tavros to understand with his limited knowledge.

"He said 'why are we friends with that guy?'" Equius provided, crouching near Tavros as he waited for the apprentice to need help again.

Tavros looked at Equius strangely.

"How, do you know that?" He asked.

"It was simple to learn," Equius said defensively, "If you observed the red girl, as I have. She is an excellent teacher."

Tavros pursed his lips, looking at Equius in concern.

"She has," Equius said in a bare whisper, "Very graceful hands."

"Ew," Tavros said articulatly, covering his face with his hands, "Gross!"

Kurloz splashed soapy water at the demon as though he were chastising a misbehaving pet.

"How dare-" Equius sputtered, face turning purple as his blue gray skin flushed with embarrassment, "There is nothing impure about- I simply admire her!"

"I didn't know, demons could 'admire' people, like that," Tavros said with a laugh, "I thought, that only happened in stories."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Equius snapped, "I command you to be silent, impudent child. Respect your betters!"

"I thought, you were the one that wanted to be commanded," Tavros said with a laugh, "And since when, are you my better?"

"The arrogant one and his father are your social betters," Equius said with a sniff, "And I am better than them, and therefore exponentially better than you. You will command me because I've commanded you to do it, peasant."

Tavros flinched a little at that, and Equius seemed to falter at the sight of Tavros's frown. Kurloz was carefully looking anywhere but at the two of them.

"Equius," Tavros said quietly, "Do you, really feel that way?"

It was hard to read guilt on Equius's stony expression, but he was sweating harder than usual.

"I am better than you," he said stubbornly, looking away, "But... perhaps I was too quick to assume the rest. Human social systems, like everything humans make, are backwards and ridiculous."

Tavros accepted the near apology for what it was and went back to scrubbing the floor in silence. Equius shifted uncomfortably but said nothing else. Fortunately, Eridan soon returned with lunch, blissfully unaware of the tension he broke as he swept in bearing bread and fruit.

"Enjoy this," He said, tossing small apples and an orange apiece at them both, "It's the last of the fruit we picked up at the cape. The bread stores aren't looking good either thanks to the storm. We're going to have to put in to resupply, I think."

Kurloz traded Tavros his orange for two more of his apples almost immediately. Tavros assumed orange wedges wouldn't fit between his stitches as neatly as apple slices.

"Is there, anywhere to stop, between here and the eastern kingdoms?" Tavros asked curiously.

"There's a few islands," Eridan said, flopping back into his chair, "Mostly uninhabited but there's fruit trees and some natives to trade with."

"Natives?" Aradia appeared in the door like she'd just been waiting for an interesting topic of conversation, "What kind of natives?"

"I don't know," Eridan said with a shrug, "The kind that live on islands? Wild men living in huts in the woods. They're barely civilized."

"Civilized enough to trade with," Aradia said, sitting down next to Tavros, who threw her Kurloz's orange, "Civilized enough to have something we need."

"They're really not that exciting Aradia," Eridan rolled his eyes, sighing dramatically, "I don't know why you get so worked up about things like this. The old kingdoms, the natives, they're just a bunch of dirty, uncivilized people without the brains to build ships or cities."

"What do you know about it?" Aradia said sharply, beginning to get offended, "You've never seen them, never studied the old kingdoms. The old kingdoms had hundreds of cities, some of them grander than the ones the empire has now!"

"No they didn't," Eridan said dismissively, "Don't be stupid. Everyone knows the capital is the greatest city that's ever been built."

"No, it isn't," Aradia insisted, "Hundreds of years ago, there was a city on the western coast bigger than two capitols put together, filled with monuments thousands of years old!"

"Where did you hear that?" Eridan asked, wrinkling his nose in disbelief.

"I read it," Aradia said, suddenly evasive, "In a book."

"You mean you made it up," Eridan sneered, "Everyone knows the empress doesn't allow anything to be written about the old kingdoms."

"Well, maybe she-"

"Stop!" Tavros said, banging his apple on the floor for emphasis, "Please? I hate it, when you guys fight like that. And I bruised my apple..."

They both had the decency to look guilty.

"You're right," Aradia said, though she was still giving Eridan dirty looks over her shoulder, "I'm sorry Tav."

"Yeah, I'm sorry," Eridan echoed.

Silence lingered for a moment before Tavros, picking at his bruised apple, spoke again.

"So, uh, what were you doing, all that time?" He asked Aradia, who shrugged and looked away.

"Nothing important," She said, "Just helping out somewhere else on the ship. There was a lot that needed cleaning up after the storm."

Eridan made a noise that said he didn't believe that for a second, which Aradia wisely ignored. Tavros noticed with some curiosity that her bracelet was missing.

"Anyway," Tavros said, "It'll be nice, to get off the boat and, uh, stretch my legs, a little. Figuratively speaking."

Aradia snorted and Kurloz threw an orange peel at him.

"It's only been a little over a month," Eridan said, "We've got a lot more to go."

"Yeah, you aren't going to get cabin fever and unleash Equius on us all, are you?" Aradia asked with a grin, "If you are, warn me ahead of time. I want to see Eridan get eaten first."

Tavros laughed, shaking his head.

"I don't know, I think Equius, would rather be unleashed on you, Aradia," Tavros said, winking at the demon, who refused to look at him, despite the fact that he was turning the same shade as Eridan's cloak. Aradia just looked confused, while Kurloz shook with silent laughter.

"I don't know what you're getting at," Aradia said, her expression dangerous, "But stop it now, or I'm taking your apples."

Tavros managed to hold it in for only a moment before a grin spread across his face as he glanced at the still shaking Kurloz.

"Equius wants, to take your apples," He snickered.

"THAT'S IT." Aradia threw herself at him, and not only took his apples, but tickled him till he cried for it. Equius refused his breathless pleas for help on the ground that Tavros was not in immediate danger, and their contract forbid him from hurting Aradia. Kurloz and Eridan just egged Aradia on.

Through his tears of mirth, as the ship carried them on towards their uncertain future, Tavros saw Vriska standing in the hall, looking in at them. Her expression was unreadable, something as hungry as it was angry. In the middle of what should have been a peaceful, happy moment, Tavros couldn't help feeling he'd somehow made a mistake somewhere.

Then she turned away, back to her room, and Tavros was distracted from his momentary grim thoughts by Aradia sitting on him. He forgot his troubles easily. He was only a kid after all, and here with his friends, and for the moment at least nothing was going wrong. If he couldn't enjoy this moment, then what was the point?


End file.
